


Guardians of Remnant Volume 1: Taking the First Step

by ScatterBRAIN_95



Series: Guardians of Remnant [3]
Category: Bleach, RWBY
Genre: Epic Weapons, F/F, F/M, M/M, Slight canon deviation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-27
Updated: 2019-08-18
Packaged: 2019-10-17 10:45:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 32
Words: 92,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17558897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScatterBRAIN_95/pseuds/ScatterBRAIN_95
Summary: A new year has begun for Ichigo and his team. New assignments, new missions, everything for their goals. But they didn't plan on being mentors for first years. Meanwhile, Ruby Rose is excited. Why? Because she gets to go to Beacon early! With her sister, too! But she has problem making friends. Can she do this? This will be the day we've waited for.





	1. Opening

**Disclaimer: This song belongs to the amazing Father/Daughter duo, Jeff & Casey Lee Williams, and Roosterteeth.**

* * *

**Opening: This Will Be the Day**

* * *

**(Instrumental)** _It starts off black for a second before images of Team RWBY and IURR appears. First Ruby and Ichigo, then Weiss and Uryuu, then Blake and Renji, and lastly Yang and Rukia. The images disperses._

 **(They see you as small and helpless; They see you as just a child. Surprise when they find out that a warrior will soon run wild.)** _Ruby is kneeling at her mother's grave with her spirit floating over it, rose petals coming off of her and her living daughter's cloaks. Ruby looks up, seeing Ichigo in her mother's place, black butterflies instead of white petals swarm around. Ichigo snaps his fingers._

 **(Prepare for your greatest moments; Prepare for your finest hour.)** _A swarm of butterflies and red rose petals flies across the screen. 'RWBY' and 'BLEACH' changes to 'Guardians of Remnant'. Next scene shows Uryuu seating on an arm of a cross before changing to Weiss under a spotlight._

 **(The dream that you've always dreamed is suddenly about to flower.)** _A scene shows Renji killing a Grimm, then shows Blake standing a tree branch before disappearing, then shows Rukia standing in the middle of a flowery forest and then changes to Yang driving off on her motorcycle._

 **(We are lightning, Straying from the thunder, Miracles of ancient wonder.)** _The screen span to a group of Creatures of Grimm, then changes to Roman Torchwick and his goons, and then scene bursts into fire, and four silhouettes are visible through the flames, as the camera zooms in on a female's golden eye. RWBY and IURR prepare to fight a horde of shadowy creatures surrounding them as an orb of darkness is formed above._

 **(This will be the day we've waited for. This will be the day we open up the door. I don't wanna hear your absolution; Hope you're ready for a revolution.)** _Ruby notices it just in time and the eight get out of the way as it impacts the ground where they were. Ruby blasts herself forward into the fray along with Ichigo, and their teammates follow. Looking at a statue of a man and woman on a cliff over a Beowolf, Jaune Arc is joined by his teammates and team TAIM as they all look up to the sky._

 **(Welcome to a world of new solutions. Welcome to a world of bloody evolution.)** _Ozpin, holding a cane and his mug, and Glynda Goodwitch, with her scroll, look onward while at the railing of the front of the school's airship, which flies off as several smaller craft soar around it._

 **(In time, your heart will open minds, A story will be told,)** _A quick shot of each of the members in Team RWBY and IURR with their symbols appear before a black background. Ozpin, Glynda, the Beacon faculty, JNPR, TAIM, Yang and Rukia, Blake and Renji, and Weiss and Uryuu all stand at the doors of Beacon Academy._

 **(And victory is in a simple soul.)** _At the front, Ruby and Ichigo wields their respective weapons, suddenly becoming black silhouettes (with Ruby's red cloak and Ichigo's hair color unchanged) that twirls the weapons around until they stop and allow the title to appear in the full moon behind them._


	2. Chapter 01: A Fairy Tale Beginning

  
**Disclaimer: RWBY and Bleach do not belong to me. They belong to their respective owners.**

 

* * *

_[Mission Report]_

_[Date: XX Month XX Day, XXXX H.E.]_  
_[Location: Shiroibara, Anima; Near Lake Matsu]_

“Okay, me and Ishida are in position. What about you?”

 _[Mission Type: Search and Destroy]_  
_[Mission Rank: A]_

\Renji and I are in position. We are directly where the Queen Lancer is being held.\

 _[Objective: Kill the Lancer Colony and Destroy Hive]_  
_[Status: Still in Progress]_

“Good. As long as we don't make any sudden movements, I think we'll be good.”

_[Huntsman/Team:...]_

“Kurosaki...”

“What?”

“Why are you whispering?”

_[IURR]_

“...I don't know.”

* * *

“Then stop it. We have comms for a reason.” Uryuu Ishida points out, indicating the white/blue earpiece nestled around his left pointed ear.

Ichigo Kurosaki grumbles under his breath. “Killjoy...” he muttered. He then places a hand over his own white/orange earpiece on his right ear. “Oi, Rukia, how are things on your end?”

\Let's just say that I've finally get to see the 'bee' part of 'the birds and the bees'.\ Rukia Kuchiki said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Ichigo can hear the poor girl gag. \Disgusting...\

\Remind me to never watch one of those nature shows again.\ Renji Abarai bemoaned.

\Anyways, how is your side, Ichigo?\

“Well,” Ichigo started, looking around the corner to see a large group of Lancer drones swarming around the wall several meters away from Ichigo and Uryuu. “There is a quite a haul here. I have no idea what the Lancers are up to, but something tells me that they're not making gross, black honey.”

He could hear Rukia give a chuckle. \Well, they can keep that. I prefer my honey orange and sweet.\ Ichigo gives a grin. Too bad he didn't get to see Uryuu's own. \Okay, I can see a drone leaving the Queen. Renji and I are gonna get ourselves prepared. You guys be ready a few minutes.\

“Okay, you guys be careful.” Ichigo said, with care.

\You, too. Uryuu as well.\ Rukia said and the line goes dead. Ichigo sighs to himself. Silence fell, the only sound being the low buzzing of the Lancer drones. Ichigo glances over to his partner, who stood quietly against the wall and his arms cross. His face gave no emotion, but Ichigo can't help but feel that he may be internally seething. Not surprising.

“Ishida...” Ichigo said, gaining the paler male's attention. “I'm sorry.” Uryuu looked at him perplex until it dawned on him what he was talking about.

“Oh, that.” He takes out a handkerchief to wipe his glasses. “It's alright, Kurosaki. Things happen.” Ichigo could tell from the sound of Uryuu's voice that he was getting tired. Ichigo as well. He didn't need to look at his Scroll to know that it's now evening, meaning they have been at this for nearly five hours.

“I know, but it was my fault.” Ichigo said. “I'm supposed to the leader and yet, well, you know.”

“Well, you're probably just stressed out.” Uryuu said as he replaced his glasses. “It wasn't that long ago when you accepted the guard mission in Atlas.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Ichigo said, almost quietly. Uryuu looks on in worry. He was no fool. Far from it. He had noticed the times where Ichigo had stay up all night, sometimes with a book and sometimes a few papers. He's very dedicated, if nothing else. But, with the new year starting soon, it'll be a lot tougher than before. And team IURR is dealing with a lot more than what they should in their current year. While sometimes, the assignments were a breeze, there had been times that one had really tested their limits. This being one of them. The Lancer colony were giving them a run for their money and they're almost at wits end. The failed attempt yesterday did little/no good to their nerves. “Oi, Ishida, I'm sorry.”

Uryuu pushes his glasses. “Really, Kurosaki, I already told you, there is nothing to apologize about.”

Ichigo shook his head. “No, no. I have to. You've planned long and hard to go about this assignment and I screwed it up.”

“Kurosaki...” Uryuu started, but Ichigo kept talking.

“I know that I can be very hot headed and impulsive at times and I know that we could pull through, but, there is always a lingering thought that seems to appear in the back of my head again and again and...and...”

“Kurosaki, sh.” Uryuu warned with an edge of urgency. But Ichigo kept going.

“Everytime I felt something might go wrong, my emotions seem to take over a bit more than usual and I couldn't control it. But I can't help it. I don't know why but lately I feel like-” Ichigo was cut off mid-sentence when Uryuu clasp a slim hand to his mouth.

“Ichigo, quiet!” Uryuu hissed as quiet as he could. When he sees that Ichigo stopped, he slowly removed his hand. “Do you hear that?” Ichigo's brown eyes darted around, trying to see what the Quincy was talking about. Ichigo doesn't really hear anything, except for the buzzing of the Lancers, which sounds closer than before. Very close...too close....

“Fan-fucking-tastic...” Ichigo mutters as he and Uryuu start running away from their spot, a large swarm of Lancers hot on their trail. The duo runs around corners, pillars, over bumps, and anything in their way.

“Ichigo Kurosaki, this is the second time you've botched a mission plan in the matter of 24 hours! I can understand every once in awhile and during training sessions, but this?!” Uryuu exclaimed.

“Yeahyeahyeahyeahyeah, I got it, Ishida. Now, shut up and run!” Ichigo interrupted. Other than a glare from his bespectacled partner, he didn't say another word.

“Ichigo, Uryuu!” a familiar female voice called as Rukia and Renji appear from around the corner and joins the other two on the run.

“Not funny!” Rukia ducks as a Lancer tried to get her. She aims her right palm at it. “Shakkahou!” a fire ball was fired and blasted the Lancer to smithereens. “What was that?! What happened to the plan?!” Rukia questioned her leader.

“It would gone accordingly if a certain someone paid attention!” Uryuu seethed looking at Ichigo.

“IT WASN'T MY FAULT!” Ichigo interjected. From the look Rukia and Uryuu are giving him, they don't believe a single word. “I've been on edge lately, okay?! I'm sorry!”

“How about we do less arguing and more running?” Renji advised as though he is talking to children. “I've been stung by normal wasps before and I don't plan on seeing what it's like to be stung by a wasp _Grimm_!”

Ichigo gritted his teeth, trying to think of a way out of this mess. He looks back to see the angry swarm still tailing them. He turns back ahead to see a light at the end. The exit, but it's so far.

Then, an idea came to Ichigo. “Oi, Ishida! Do you still have any Fire Dust crystal, uncut maybe?” After some searching, Uryuu pulls out an uncut red crystal.

“What are you planning, Kurosaki?” Uryuu asked, though dreading the answer. When it comes to Ichigo and his ideas, 90% of the time someone is hurt, either Ichigo himself or one of his teammates.

“Drop it.” Ichigo said.

“What?” Uryuu asked with a raised brow. What is he...?

“Drop it, NOW!” Ichigo repeats with more urgency. Uryuu promptly complies, dropping the crystal to the hive floor. Ichigo stops and turns around towards the on coming swarm.

“Ichigo, what are you doing?!” Rukia wondered, she, Renji, and Uryuu stopping just a few dozen feet away from the exit. They see Ichigo bring out his smaller blade, Tensa, in pistol and removes the dark red handle. He then replaces it with a green one. Wind Dust ammunition. Seeing the danger, the rest of Ichigo's team high-tailed it once more. Ichigo aims at the Fire Dust, pulls the trigger, and starts running as well. As if in slow motion, the Wind Dust ammunition makes it's way towards the red Dust just as the swarm is drawing near and the team almost to the exit. After what seem like an eternity, the bullet made contact with the crystal...and follows could only be described as spontaneous combustion as a large fire roars to life.

The team was blown out of one of the hive entrance by the explosion before they could be severely harmed by the flames that successfully engulfed the hive. The four carefully gets up as they watch the fire raging and killing any Lancer drones. Three out of the four sees it as a train-wreck, while one on the other hand...

Ichigo whistles at the sight. “Well that worked better than I thought it would. Maybe too much.” His comment was answered with a hard punch to the head by Renji.

“Are you nuts?!” Renji said. “You nearly cooked us too with that stupid move.”

“Well I didn't see you coming up with great ideas at the moment!” Ichigo argued back.

“There are better ways to go about these things, Kurosaki.” Uryuu pointed out, clearly frustrated, his normally calm demeanor absent for the moment. “And sending nearly the entire forest in hellfire isn't one of them.”

“Hey, at least it worked out in the end, right?” Ichigo tried to reason, which only earned an aggravated growl from his Quincy partner.

“Du bist ein Dummkopf.” Uryuu muttered in his hands with great exasperation. Ichigo rolled his eyes at this. He has learned long ago the meaning of the sentence, despite still knowing very little of the language of the Quincy. But, their victory was cut short by a rumbling sound from the burning mound. It squirmed and pulsated as something tries to get out.

“Oh, shit.” Renji cursed.

(Cue Bleach OST B03)

Bursting out of the hive, black gunk and pieces of the structure flying, was the Queen Lancer. It screeched in rage as it start its attack on the four. It swoops down at the team, but they managed to flip their way out of its path just in time. The Queen Lancer starts shooting projectiles from it's abdomen at the four huntsmen-in-training. Uryuu was the fastest to act. “Heilig Schutz!” He creates a dome of light over himself and Rukia, protecting both from the projectiles. Meanwhile, Ichigo uses his large sword to shield himself and Renji, the latter occasionally uses his Semblance to drive away stray shrapnel.

“This isn't getting us anywhere.” Renji said. Ichigo glances over to his other teammates to see how they're holding up. They look okay, that light shield of Uryuu's going strong. But Ichigo knows it's not a permanent solution.

“Rukia!” The petite woman turns to her leader at the shout of her name. She sees him make a sign with his hand. She then turns to her pale teammate. She could tell that holding up this shield is very tiring for the young Quincy, seeing a sheen of sweat and a more pallid complexion on his face. Still, he's going on strong. Rukia places a hand on Uryuu's shoulder, getting his attention.

“Uryuu, when I say 'now', disable the shield. Okay?” Rukia said. Uryuu nods. “1...2...3...Now!” Uryuu brings down his shield as Rukia raise her arms. “Soukatsui!” Rukia shouts as she shoots a blue fire/lightning attack at the Queen Lancer, successfully stunning it and stopping the barrage.

The Queen hissed as it recovers from the shock, obviously irritated. It releases it stinger to aim at Rukia, but Uryuu manages to swoop in and got her out of the way. The stinger hits the ground where Rukia was. Ichigo takes out Tensa and shoots the stinger at where it was embedded in the ground and amber-colored resin formed, sticking the stinger in place.

“Alright. Ishida, up!” At the call, Uryuu leaps in the air, using his light platforms to get higher towards the Grimm. As he goes up, the Queen Lancer tries to kill him with more bony projectiles, but Ichigo and Renji were able to shoot them away with their bullets. With one more big leap, Uryuu was well above the large Lancer before he goes down with a kick and hits the Grimm square in the torso. The Queen Lancer landed heavily on the ground, dirt and dust in the air. Before it could get its barrings, Uryuu (back in the air) shoots an arrow laced with Ice Dust, trapping it in the ice crystal. From above, Renji and Ichigo comes down with their swords. Similar to a guillotine, their swords make contact to the large Lancer's torso, cleaving through. The Queen Lancer gives an agonized screech before it went silent, unmoving.

The golden light of the setting sun shines on the fading body of the fallen Queen.

* * *

The mission was successful, however dysfunctional. After making sure there is nothing left of the Lancer colony, team IURR made their way back to Shiroibara to confirm the success from the tavern, an often routine Huntsmen would make when accepting a mission. After eating a well deserved meal and reassuring everyone that a forest fire isn't raging, the team make themselves comfortable in their room at a nearby inn to relax after a job well done...

“What the hell, Kurosaki?! Why didn't you follow the plan?” Uryuu scolds as paces around their temporary room.

“It still worked out in the end. I don't see the big deal.” Ichigo says defensively.

“The 'big deal' was that we planned to draw out the Queen by exterminating enough of the Lancer drones. Instead, a certain someone thought it was good idea gun-ho the rest of the way, which was why we had to bring the fight much closer to the hive in the first place.” Rukia points out, she's sitting on her bed seiza-styled. Ichigo sweatdrops.

“Tch.” Renji huffed, him sitting indian style on the foot his bed, just next to Ichigo's. “So much for the Grimm Reaper of Beacon Academy.”

“Stick it.” Ichigo growls, flipping the Faunus off. The latter only rolls his eyes.

Uryuu seats down on his bed next to Rukia's with a sigh as he pushes up his glasses to grip the bridge of his nose. “School is going to start back up in a couple of months. It will be our penultimate year before we graduate and become full-fledged Huntsmen. As this team's leader, you should work on keeping a leveled head if you wish to-”

“Ugh, yes, I get it. Now, can it with the lectures.” Ichigo bemoaned. “Last thing I need is another Byakuya hounding me about my leadership skills.”

“Colonel Kuchiki.” Renji corrected.

“Whatever.” Ichigo said. He then mutters, “Pompous ass.”

Rukia hears this and gives her team leader a heated glare at the disrespectful jab. “Back to the main issue, like Uryuu said, we had a great plan to take care of the Lancers and their Queen.” She pulls out a sketchbook and flips it open. “I even drew them out to make them more understandable.” She shows her teammates what she drew, which depicts her and her teammates as poorly drawn bunnies and the Grimm as poorly drawn bears.

“Sorry, Rukia, but I'm going to have to give some credit on Ichigo's part. Nobody can understand your poor drawings.” Renji admits. An angry vein pulsed from Rukia's head as she threw her sketchbook like a Frisbee at her childhood friend, hitting him between the eyes. The book ricochet off from Renji's face and flies towards Uryuu, who catches it. An argument soon escalated among the more hot-headed three. Uryuu sighs at the sight, having to have grown used to it. He then chimes in to stop their quarrel. After just a few minutes, the four quieted down.

“One more year, huh?” Renji wondered.

“It's kind of surreal, isn't it?” Rukia asked. “We're just starting our third year, true, but it really dawned on me that we're almost there. It really won't be too long until we can become real Huntsmen.” She smiles. “It's kind of nostalgic.”

“What about that thing Old Man Oz talked about before we left?” Ichigo asked Uryuu.

“I am assuming that you are referring to Prof. Ozpin's proposition of us graduating early at the end of the year.” The Quincy says as he places the sketchbook on the nightstand and pushes up his glasses with his left index finger. “There is a possibility, provided that we accept the offer and pass the honor exams.”

Renji gives a laugh. He moves so that way he can be seating at the headboard. “Come on, look at all the things we've accomplished. We dealt with missions that even the fourth years couldn't handle. And that was during second year!” He leans back, draws up a knee, crosses his other leg over it, and puts his hands behind his head. “I think we're more than qualified.”

“Yeah.” Ichigo said. He glances down on his right hand as he flexes it. “It feels like it was just yesterday that we were assigned as teammates. We've been through a lot, seen a lot, and learned a lot. We've fought different kinds of Grimm, caught a lot of bounties, and saved many lives. I have no doubt that we're ready.”

Uryuu adjusted his glasses with a huff. “I don't want to hear you saying that you've improved since freshman when your ability to follow protocol are leaving a lot to be desired, Kurosaki.” Another silence fell among them, the other three staring at their paler teammate. The silence was broken, this time by Rukia laughing, falling side ways on her bed holding her sides.

It wasn't long until the rest, excluding Uryuu who blushes, started to laugh as well. All the while, a full moon shines through the window. From a tree outside, a black-furred feline was perched on a branch, watching the group. It laid comfortably, purring, swishing its tail, and lazily blinking it golden eyes. A bird flying off caught its attention. It was a crow.

Back into the room, the laughter has quieted down. Ichigo wipes away a tear that had form from the guffaw and he glances at his teammates. His friends. The friends that he had made over two years ago.

“Guys...I'm sorry for everything in the few days.” Ichigo said. “I don't whats going on, but I'm been a little bit on edge lately. Maybe it's because of this mission or maybe the upcoming year...I don't know, but...” He stopped he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looks to see Rukia smiling warmly at him.

“There's nothing to apologize for. We were all on edge, in a way. Even Uryuu.” She joked. They see said boy rolling his eyes, but they also see a smile. “Remember, Ichigo: We're here for you. We've always been.” Ichigo could feel a sense of calmness from her words, a serenity he holds dear. He looks over at Renji and Uryuu, both had gone up walked to him and Rukia, seeing them giving him honest reassured looks.

“Thank you.”

* * *

The bell over the door jingles as Ruby Rose entered the Dust Til Dawn shop. “Hi.” She greeted the old shopkeep. The man grunted a friendly hello back. “Do you have the latest issue of Weapons Magazines shelved yet?” Shopkeep nodded with a chuckle and gestures over to the rack of magazines at the back of the store. Ruby beamed a smile. “Thank you!” Shopkeep gives her a nice smile as she makes her way to the magazines. While the girl in red doesn't always buy something from his store every time she comes here, her sweet and innocent nature always brightens up his day. Sometimes, he wonders why she would come to his little shop just to read when there are better places, like Tukson's Book Trade, a bookstore. In the end, he grew to enjoy her company.

Ruby nearly snatches up Issue #228 Weapons Magazines and flips it open, eager to see its contents. It's no surprise that Ruby is a big weapons dork. She would squee at any weapons she sees and ask the owner of their abilities and names and the like, much to the amusement to most people. She'd even gush as her sister's gauntlets. Everyone at Signal Academy would occasionally tease her about it, but she paid no mind to it. It is true, after all, she won't deny it. Ruby hopes to one day meet the Father of Modern Day Huntsmen Weaponry himself, Oetsu Nimaiya.

She then takes out a pair of red headphones and turned it on, playing some metal-esque music while she reads the articles. She was so engrossed at the inner workings of a halberd-gatling gun that she hadn't noticed that a few hours has passed and that it's night out. This is a common occurrence for the old shopkeeper, he just doesn't have the heart to interrupt the girl. Sometimes, he would wait at most an hour after closing time to tell Ruby it's time to go. She would apologize greatly for taking up so much time and then leaves after thanking the man. Neither Ruby or the shopkeep were ever worry for her safety about walking at night. After all, Ruby is adept at sensing people's Auras and who would mess with a girl who wields a high caliber sniper-scythe.

Unfortunately, this kindness proves to become a detriment on the shopkeeper when a well dressed man with a cigar and cane, accompanied by a group of men in black suits and red sun-glasses, entered the humble store. Also, Ruby is fully engrossed in the magazine that she can't sense them and the volume of the headphones were set on high, thus she can't here them. However, the loud music does gain the attention of one of the men in suits stealing powdered Dust.

Ruby hums to the song as she flips a page to an article about one of Nimaiya's first works. She was then interrupted by a rough grab of a hand to her shoulder and pulls her around. The girl in red gives a soft gasp at the action. She notices a man in a black suit, a black fedora and red glasses. His mouth was moving, but she couldn't hear what he was saying. Seeing her confused, the man motions to his ears. Ruby was still confused for a second before she realizes her headphones are muting the man out.

“Yes?” Ruby asked, putting down her red headphones. “Did you need something?” If the guy wanted a magazine from the rack, there are much nicer ways to go about it than manhandling someone.

“Put your hands in the air!” the man demanded, pointing his red-bladed sword at her. The sudden command made Ruby flinched back in surprise.

“Wh-what? Why?!” Ruby asked, even more confused than before. What's going on?

“No more questions. Hands up and against the wall, now.” the man commanded, inching the blade closer to her for emphasizing. Still very perplexed at the change of atmosphere, Ruby looks around the store. She notices several more men in the same clothes as the one currently holding her at sword point at different aisles taking Dust crystals, powder, bags, and the like. She also sees the nice shopkeeper currently at gunpoint another one of those men. Getting all of these thoughts together, she came to one conclusion.

“Are...are you..robbing the store?” Ruby asked the man.

“Yes!” he shouted in frustration.

“Oooooh...” Was all that Ruby said before smirking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Chapter 02 To Beacon Academy


	3. Chapter 02: To Beacon Academy

**Disclaimer: RWBY and Bleach do not belong to me. They belong to their respective owners.**

* * *

"I can't believe that my baby sister is coming to Beacon Academy with me." Yang Xiao Long said in excitement as she bear hugs Ruby. "This is the best day ever!"

"Yang...can't breathe..." Ruby wheezed. Sometimes Ruby wonders if Yang even knew her own strength. "Please stop." Yang reluctantly complies.

"But I'm just so proud of you!" Yang gushed, much to her sister's embarrassment.

"Yang, please, it's nothing." Ruby said.

"'Nothing'?" Yang repeated incredulously. "What do you mean? Everybody at Beacon will think you're the bees knees."

"But I don't want to be 'the bees knees'." Ruby complained. Yang shook her head with a smile at her sister, remembering that night just a couple of months ago.

_~~~~~Flashback~~~~~_

" _Dad, I'm sure Ruby's fine." Yang said from her spot on the couch, watching her worried father pacing around the living room._

" _It is 2 o'clock in the morning at there still no sign of her." Taiyang Xiao Long said, obviously worried sick. "We don't have anything to know that she's fine! She could have been mugged or kidnapped!"_

" _Well," Yang started. "If you went and got Ruby a Scroll, you would know where she is. Like you did for me when I started Signal."_

" _Ruby is not ready for that kind of responsibility." Tai argued. "Besides, I'm still regretting the decision." He glances at his oldest daughter, who is currently on her Scroll. Yang notices her dad glaring at her._

" _It was one prank call." Yang said._

" _And one lawsuit." Tai said._

" _Dad, I'm sure she's fine." Yang tries to reason and changes the subject as she turned off her Scroll and put it down. "She probably just got sidetrack by a good book or oogling at some weapon designs. Besides, who would try to mug or kidnap a girl with a giant friggin' scythe."_

" _First of all, language." Tai scolded. "Second of all, she's is still my youngest daughter and I don't want anything bad to happen to her." He flops down on the couch next to Yang. Yang puts a hand on her dad's shoulder._

" _I get it, Dad. Believe me." Yang said. "But, she's not a baby anymore. Neither of us are. It won't be long until we're both Huntresses."_

_Tai sighed. "I know. But, no matter how old you two and no matter what you two become, you and your sister will always be my baby girls."_

" _And you'll always be our overprotective dad." Yang pointed out. "Besides, it's a little embarrassing." Yang remembers way back when she started Signal that her dad presented her a boxed lunch in a lunch box she hadn't used since 2nd grade. She was red with embarrassment for a whole day,_

_Tai looks at her unsure, but eventually gave a smile resignation. "Yeah, you're right." He places a hand over his daughter's. "Thank you."_

_The moment was interrupted when the living room door starts to creak open. "Yang? Dad? Are you guys up?" Almost knocking down Yang, Tai sprang up from the couch and darted towards the door._

" _Ruby! You are you alright? Where were you?"_

_Yang looks on deadpanned. "So much for the pep talk." She said sarcastically before getting up and walking over._

" _Ruby, it is over 2 am in the morning. Where have you been?" Tai questioned, going into discipline mode._

_Ruby chuckled nervously. "Well, ha-ha, went over to Dust Til Dawn to read the latest issue of Weapons Magazine. Obviously, I lost track of the time."_

" _And?" Tai urged._

" _...And, uh...I may have been busy with a robbery attempt lead by Roman Torchwick..."_

" _ROMAN TORCHWICK?!" The shout made Ruby flinch._

" _Whoa, really?" Yang questioned. "Well, I hope you managed to give him one heck of a bruising."_

" _Yang, do not encourage this." Tai scolded. He turns back to Ruby, unknown to him that Yang is giving Ruby two thumbs up and a big grin. "Young lady, you were gone for 2 hours more than usual. Do you have any idea how worried I was?" Ruby chuckled nervously._

" _Ah, well...you see...uh..." Ruby struggled to answer, a little bit afraid right now._

_Tai opened his mouth for another scolding before someone else said, "I would be more worried about the individuals who had tried to best her." Tai grew silent at the voice as a familiar face appeared in view._

" _Prof. Ozpin..." Tai identified. Ozpin simply smiled at his former student. He takes a sip of coffee._

_~~~~~Present~~~~~_

It took a long time to convince her father (and Ruby) to let the girl skip two years. Tai was obviously hesitant, not wanting both of his daughters to go at the same time, but figured that Ruby was indeed skilled enough. The girl in red was adept in her fighting skills and her Aura abilities were above average compared to others in her age group. In the end, Tai agreed to the arrangement, promising to reward Ruby when she gets accepted.

"I just want to be a normal girl with normal knees..." Ruby said, bringing Yang out from her memories.

Yang scoffs. "Come on, aren't you excited?"

"Yang, I got moved ahead  _two_  years." Ruby pointed out bluntly. "I don't want anyone to think I'm special or something."

"But you are." Yang said.

"No, I'm not." Ruby tries to interject.

"I'm calling bull on that."

"Hello and welcome to Beacon." the hologram of a blonde bespectacled woman greeted.

"Who's that?" Yang asked, not really to anyone but Ruby shrugs.

"My name is Glynda Goodwitch." The hologram introduced.

"Oh."

"You are among a privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy! Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future Huntsmen and Huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task, and now it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training to protect our world." With that, the hologram disappears.

"Yang, look!" Ruby said, pointing at something outside the window. "You can see Signal from here. I guess that means home is not too far, huh?"

"Beacon's our home now." Yang said, giving Ruby an affectionate squeeze. The cute moment was ruined when a blonde boy in armor moaned and groaned, hunched over, hand over mouth, and just looks really green. He stumbled away from the window, trying to keep from heaving. The girls grimaced. "So much for a smooth ride..." Ruby giggled and Yang smile. She hugged her again before letting go. "Come on, we'll be landing soon and I would love to look around at the place."

"Ew, Yang! You're walking into the puke!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Ah, gross!" Yang shouted.

* * *

"Hey, Ichigo!" A rather annoying voice said. Ichigo lefts the corner of his _Civilization Before Kingdoms_ history book that is laying over his face to block the sunlight to look at his friend, a human male with medium length brown hair and eyes to match.

"What is it, Keigo?" He asked.

"Take a look over there." the brunette said, pointing over at the courtyard where the airships carrying potential first-years dock.

Ichigo sits up for a better look before giving Keigo a pointed expression. "So?"

Keigo gives a rather perverse look. "I wonder if there's gonna be anymore hot babes with big ti-OW!" A hard punch to the back his head knocked him forward, hitting his forehead to the ground. Keigo slowly sits back up, rubbing the pain away from his head and forehead. He turns to his assailant. "Damn it, Tatsuki. What was that for?"

"Like hell that I'm gonna let you gallivant around the courtyard to goggle at any of the newcomers." She stated. She lowers down to sit next to Ichigo.

Keigo perched his lips and puffed his cheeks in a pout. "You're no fun."

Tatsuki turns to her childhood friend. "So, how are you doing?"

"What do you mean?" Ichigo questioned. "I'm doing fine. It's not like I'm sick or anything."

"That's not what I meant." Tatsuki clarified. "From what I heard, you and your team are getting some honor classes. How are you guys fairing?"

"Good, I guess." Ichigo said. "It's a little harder than before, but I think we're managing."

"Are you sure?"

"It's not like we're gonna accept the offer right then and there. We just wanted to see what we're in for. Old man Oz did say we got until the middle of second semester and we've just started like a week ago."

Tatsuki narrowed her eyes. "Are you sure you'll be alright?" she repeated.

"Are you doubting our abilities?" Ichigo questioned.

A long silence fell between the two, a silence that felt a little heavy. Even Keigo, who was surprisingly quiet throughout the whole conversation, tried to put his attention in the discarded history book. Tatsuki stood up from her spot. She stares towards the airships watching the arrivals exiting the craft. "No. Of course I'm not. You guys are very talented, probably among the best in our generation. But that doesn't mean you are invincible." She paused a second. "A lot had happened during our first year, especially for you, Rukia, Uryuu, and Renji. It got harder in our second year and its gonna be more hard this year, perhaps even more so for you and your team. I guess...I just wanted to know if you honestly feel that you're ready for that responsibility. That you can handle the real deal."

"Don't worry. We are." Ichigo reassured.

"Also, if you and the others need any help of any kind," Tatsuki started. "You better come to us so we can help out, okay?" Ichigo eyes widen slightly at his friend's declaration, before he softened a bit with a sincere smile.

"Yeah, okay." Ichigo agreed. "Thanks, Tatsuki."

"No problem." Tatsuki said.

"Hey, no fair! How come Ichigo gets special treatment and an awesome pep talk and all I get is a punch to the head?" Keigo complained. "I'm part of your team, damn it!"

"Because you're annoying! That's why." Tatsuki said, getting a little aggravated.

Ichigo gives the faintest of smiles at two of his friends before lying back down. Ichigo stares into the sky, watching birds fly by. Some even forming an 'M' like formation towards the sun. "Something tells me that this gonna be one hell of a year."

* * *

Orihime Inoue looks outside from the window of the student council room, located at one of Beacon Tower's most upper floors. She gives a giggle. "Isn't this exciting?"

"Is what exciting?" Uryuu asks from the student council president's desk, reading through a book.

"She's excited that there are more students coming." Rukia said, seating at one of the tables in the room, drawing on a sketchbook. Uryuu merely hmmed at the answer, stilling reading. A jingle from his closed Scroll caught his attention. He looks over at the white/blue device, attached to the corner is a beaded keychain in various shades of blue. He picks it up and opens it to see a message from Winter Schnee. He opens the message to see what it says.

'She just texted me. She's arrived at Beacon'

Uryuu glances over the armchair to look out the window. He sees one of the last airships docking to drop-off the potential new students.

Orihime sees this and smiles. "I bet you're excited, aren't you, Ishida-kun?"

Uryuu raises a brow. "Excited?"

"Your friend is coming here, right?" Uryuu only stares at her before turning his attention back to his book. Orihime's smile only grew, knowing what the Quincy really feels. She looks over at Rukia, who also gives a knowing smile. Then the door opened as the rest of the student council piled through: Coco Adel, Velvet Scarletina, and Mizuiro Kojima.

"Good morning, Orihime and Uryuu!" Velvet, the council historian, greeted.

"Velvet-chan!" Orihime exclaimed as she runs over to give the rabbit Faunus a big hug. Velvet graciously returns the gesture.

"It's nice to see you again." Velvet said. They then relinquished their holds. "But, it has been a week since school has started for us and we've been having meetings since."

"Oh, I know." Orihime said. "But, I'm always happy to see my friends." She glomps Velvet in another hug.

Mizuiro, the council's secretary, moves over to the table where Rukia is seating. "Good morning." He greets, pulling out a chair to seat. "What are you drawing?"

Rukia gives a smirk. "Wouldn't you know this already without even looking?"

"Just humor me." Mizuiro simply said.

"Well, I've been thinking about some new battle tactics for future missions." Rukia explaining, showing the petite male her drawing. The sketch shows bunnies that obviously resembles Rukia and her teammates facing off a bear that represents. As for what type of Grim, that's up in the air.

"I...see." Mizuiro said, not wanting to say anymore unless he wants to make Rukia angry.

"I can do the same for team TAIM if you'd like." Rukia proposed, suddenly more excited.

"It's appreciated, but no thank you." Mizuiro politely declined.

Coco, the vice president, makes herself comfortable by seating on the edge of the president's desk in front of Uryuu. "Good morning, Prez. I see you're enjoying yourself being holed in a room. You do realize that we have today and tomorrow off during the first-years initiation."

Uryuu pushes up his glasses. "While I appreciate the concern, Ms. Adel, it is unnecessary for the moment. I would like to at least make some arrangements for the 40th Vytal Festival before I get distracted."

"Yeah. Apparently, there are gonna some big things happening for this year's Vytal Festival. Parades, dances, performances, and the like. All for the 80th anniversary, right?"

Uryuu pushes up his glasses. "That is the plan. That is, if it follows accordingly."

"Think you can handle it?" Coco asked, lifting her sunglasses. Uryuu raises a brow at her in a way that says 'Do you know who you're talking to?'. It is the job of the student council to do the preparations for the biannual event. This would be the first for Coco and Velvet. Coco smiles looking out the window. "This is gonna be one hell of a year."

"So, it would seem..." Uryuu said, almost to himself. He closes his book.

* * *

The airship lowered itself near the docks and opens its doors. The still green blonde boy dashed out of the machine, hand over his mouth, and towards the nearest trashcan. The Patch girls passed the blonde boy currently puking his guts out, cringing as they went by. "Yeesh, poor Vomit Boy." Yang sympathized.

Now well into the courtyard, the two stopped to marvel the sight of Beacon Academy. "Wow..." Yang said in awe at the sight.

"We're here..." Ruby said, looking on in awe. "...Beacon Academy!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Chapter 03 Meet and Greet


	4. Chapter 03: Meet and Greet

**Disclaimer: RWBY and Bleach do not belong to me. They belong to their respective owners.**

* * *

"Sorry about that, sis." Yang muttered as she made distance between her and Ruby. She needs to make new friends and she can't if she hanging around Yang. "She's  _fine_. What could happen?" Yang tries reassure herself. As if tempting fate, an explosion occurred back at the courtyard. She turned to see a puff of red smoke...with traces of ice and lightning? "She's fine." Yang then feels a familiar presence. She turns to see a familiar face some ways away. "Hey, Angelface!" Uryuu halts, wincing at the nickname.

"Hello, Ms. Xiao Long."

"Helloooo~" Yang sang.

"It's rare to see you without your sister by your side. Where is she?"

Yang puts her hands and kicks her feet at the ground. "Don't know, maybe she went to go gawk at more weapons." Yang said. "So, you gonna show me around, Angelface?"

Uryuu closed his eyes for moment to stop himself from cringing again. "No. I actually need to deliver some papers to one of our teachers." He holds up the papers to show her. "If you're wondering where to go, head towards the amphitheater." He points at the direction. "The headmaster would be giving his speech soon, so you might want to hurry. Prof. Goodwitch doesn't like it when someone doddle. Have a nice day, Ms. Xiao Long and give Ms. Rose my congrats." He turns to leave.

When he's out of earshot, Yang scoffs. "When is he gonna stop with that 'Ms. Xiao Long' thing and start calling me by my first name?"

* * *

" _Ugh, so much for a great start."_  Ruby groaned internally. First, her own sister ditched her and then some crabby girl yelled at her for being clumsy. What a day...

"You okay there?" A friendly male voice right next to her asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks, Jaune." Said boy nodded in return. The two had only met a mere few minutes ago and, after some halfhearted name calling of Vomit Boy and Crater Face, are now strolling aimlessly around the school grounds for no particular reason other than to get away from the crater made by the SDC heiress' Dust. Jaune is definitely a peculiar fellow, especially his Aura. Ruby, having great talent in Aura Sensing, can something...off about the blonde's Aura? "Just trying to...get used to this, I guess."

"Ah." Jaune said dumbly. An awkward silence fell between the two. Ruby bit down on her lower lip as her heart started racing nervously. The silver-eyed girl is not very good at these kind of stuff. And judging from Jaune's stiff stance and profuse sweating, he's not good at it either.

" _What should I say next?"_  Both thought at the same time.

Like a lightbulb shining in her head, Ruby had something else to talk about, something she's quite fond with. "Hey, Jaune. Check this out." She brandished her weapon as it morphed into it's scythe form.

"Whoa, is-is that a scythe?"Jaune questioned, a little unnerved to see such a small girl wield such a dangerous weapon, even in Huntsmen standards.

"He's also a high caliber sniper rifle." Ruby boasted proudly.

"Huh?" Jaune said in confusion.

"It means he's also a gun."

"Oh."

Ruby then started to eye on Jaune's sheathed sword. "So what do you have?"

"I...uh..got a sword." He pulls out the blade. "And the scabbard turns into a shield." To emphasize it, he takes the scabbard and transforms it to it's shield form.

"Ooh, does it have a name?" Ruby asked, a little more starry eyed know that's she talking about weapons. "Mine's name is Crescent Rose."

"C-Crocea Mors." Jaune said.

"What is it's classification?" Ruby asked.

"Classification?"

"Yeah." Ruby said. "A lot of modern weapons have a classification. Crescent Rose's classification is High Caliber Sniper Scythe, or HCSS for short."

"Oh. Well, it used to belong to my great-great grandfather." Jaunes explained. "So, it never had one."

"Huh, so an heirloom, then." Ruby said. "Well, I think it's great. Not everyone appreciates classics these days."

"A classic, huh." Jaune muttered as he watched Ruby put away her scythe in standby mode. He then changed the shield back into a scabbard and sheathes his sword back in.

"Jaune, I've been wondering. Why did you help me back there?" Ruby asked.

"Well, why not? It's obvious that you were having rough day too." Jaune said politely. "And besides, my mom once said that stranger's are you haven't met yet."

"Huh." Ruby said. She looks around and started to notice the lack of students walking around. "Um, where are we going?" Ruby asked.

"Oh I don't know." Jaune admitted awkwardly. "I was following you."

"Hey!" A new female calls out. Ruby and Jaune looks before them to see an older girl with cropped black hair, along with a young man with honey-colored spiked hair about the girl's age. "What are you kids doing around here?"

"Ooh, duh, uh, um, we are... heading towards the... uh...the...speech place?" Jaune said, flushed red with embarrassment.

"Aah, I see. Then, you two should be heading to the amphitheater. Where you guys are heading to now is the dorms, a little ways away from the amphitheater." Tatsuki pointed out. "If you're lost, we can take you there."

"Really? Oh, thank you so much...uh..." Ruby started to thank but suddenly remembered that she failed to ask for their names. The older female smiled nicely.

"The name's Tatsuki. A third-year here." She turns to her male friend. "And this big oaf is Ichigo." When the guy, Ichigo, didn't say anything, Tatsuki gave him a swift smack to his chest. Ichigo gave his friend a quick glare before turning back to Ruby and Jaune.

"Hey." Ichigo said nothing else, after that. Tatsuki rolled her eyes at him.

"Ignore him." Tatsuki said, earning another glare from Ichigo. "With the introductions out of the way, you two ready?"

"Mm-hm." Ruby said.

"Yeah." Jaune said.

"Alright. Let's get going, then. The Headmaster's speech is gonna start in a few minutes, so follow us." Tatsuki said. Jaune and Ruby nodded as they followed older girl. Ichigo stayed put for a moment, staring perplexingly at the girl in a red hood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Chapter 04 Meet and Greet 2


	5. Chapter 04: Meet and Greet 2

**Disclaimer: RWBY and Bleach do not belong to me. They belong to their respective owners.**

* * *

_How did I get roped into this?_  Ichigo thought for the sixth time. He only came to have fresh air, not chaperone. The girl in red-hood looked a bit too young to even be here, maybe younger than his sisters. And the blonde kid (Joan? John?)...his Aura isn't even activated. What the hell?

"So, what's it like here?" Ruby asked Ichigo. Might as well humor her...

He shrugged. "Alright, but writing the mission reports is a pain in the ass." Ichigo admitted. Seeing a worried look on the girl's face he said, "You wouldn't have to worry about that until your second year."

Ruby sighed in relief. "That's good to hear. But, if that's what it takes to be a Huntress, then I'll do it." She pumps up a fist in a very Yang-like fashion. Ichigo looks at her perplexed.

"You wanna be a Huntress that badly?"

"Well, yeah." Ruby said simply. "Not trying to brag, but, I've actually skipped ahead two years." She's  _15_?! She is the same age as his sisters. "Both of my parents were Huntsmen and hearing their stories, along with so many others, inspired me to become one too. I want to become just like the heroes in the books and comics." An idealist. Greeeeat.

Tatsuki looked at the blonde kid. "And what about you, Jaune?" She gives him a hefty pat on the back, causing to double over.

Jaune coughed a little before straightening himself up. "W-well, I-I wanted to follow the Arc family legacy."

"'Arc', huh?" Tatsuki questioned. "You by any chance related to a Beryl Arc?"

Jaune nodded. "Y-yeah. She's my older sister. Well, one of them."

"Here we are." Tatsuki said, seeing the amphitheater in view. "The speech will start in a few minutes, so you might want to book it now."

"Oh,thank you. I hope we see each other again. See ya!" Ruby said, waving at them before sprinting towards the building.

"H-hey, wait!" Jaune called out. "Thank you for helping us." With that, he runs off, struggling to to catch up with the little red.

Tatsuki turns to her childhood friend. "You've noticed it too, right?"

"About the blonde kid's Aura? Or lack there of?" Ichigo revealed. "Yep."

"Not only that, but it's obvious he's still very green. I wonder how he managed to get accepted." Tatsuki mused. "I mean, I'm sure the professors would be able to tell at a glance, especially the Headmaster."

"Who knows." Ichigo said. "Old man Oz was always a bit nuttier than a fruit cake."

"True. That Ruby girl, though. She's got aspirations. It's actually very adorable." Tatsuki said, tickled at Ruby's idealism. "Kind of reminded me of someone long ago." She looks at her friend knowingly. Ichigo, however, looked pessimistic.

"That girl is gonna get eaten alive."

* * *

_In the amphitheater..._

It took a lot of Weiss' willpower to stop her eye from twitching in irritation. It has been over 10 minutes since that child nearly destroyed her supply of Dust. Before that, she got a call from her Father, demanding her to return to Atlas at once. Ugh, what a day...

Then, she notices something in her peripheral vision. Black hair, fair-skinned, and a pair of glasses.  _"Is it...?"_  She thought.  _"Could it be?"_  An excited thrill went through her as she grabbed her luggage trolley and went towards the person, occasionally saying 'excuse me' and 'move' at anyone in her way.  _"It has to be!"_  She reaches out her hand.  _"It's..."_  Without thinking she grabbed the person's shoulder, surprising them. They turned around at Weiss, who's smile started to waver. The person's blue eyes were a different shade and he has very human ears. "Oh. Oh, I'm so sorry." Weiss quickly apologized. "I thought you were someone else."

The guy just clicked his tongue and walks away. A mistake. Weiss' fair face gained a shade of red in embarrassment, bit there is also a hint of disappointment. She really wanted to see  _him_  again...

"Ruby! Over here! We saved you a spot!" Weiss overheard some blonde girl call out. Weiss put her head in her hands as today's event replayed in her head. Her Father calling, some kid knocking over her luggage and nearly destroying what's in them, and now foolishly mistaking a stranger for a friend. Again, what a day... A familiar voice then caught the heiress' attention. It wasn't a pleasant one, it an irritating one and when they said something about 'tripping over some crabby girl's luggage', she looks over and sees a very familiar red cloak.

"YOU!" Weiss shouted, startling the girl, Ruby, into Yang's arms.

"Oh God, it's happening again!" the girl exclaimed, obviously very frightened. And she better be.

"You're lucky we weren't blown off the side of the cliff!"

"Oh my God, you really exploded." Yang muttered.

Ruby gets herself out of Yang's arms and turns to Weiss. "I-I'm sorry. It really was an accident!" Weiss takes out a SDC pamphlet. "What's this?"

Weiss rolled her eyes as she recites the SDC policy to the red dimwit, something her Father had drilled into her head since she became old enough to comprehend words. When it was obvious that whatever Weiss just said went over Ruby's head, the former asked, "You really wanna start making things up to me?"

"Yes?" Weiss stuffs the pamphlet in Ruby's hand.

"Read this and don't ever speak to me again."

"Look." Yang started. "You two just got to the wrong foot today. Why not just start over and try to be friends, okay?" Really? Weiss Schnee, Heiress to the Schee Dust Company, becoming friends with some snot-nosed kid? Yeah, like that will ever happen.

Said snot-nosed kid seems to like the idea though. "Yeah! Great idea, sis!" Ruby holds out her hand as she clears her throat. "Hello, Weiss! I'm Ruby! Wanna hang out? We can go shopping for school supplies!"

"Oh my gosh, yes! And we can paint our nails and try on clothes and talk about cute boys like tall, blonde, and scraggly over there." Weiss said with obviously fake enthusiasm, thumbing at some dork in the back.

"Wow! Really?" Ruby asked, actually sounding very hopeful. Does she not understand sarcasm?

"No." Weiss said bluntly with a glare.

The sound of the microphone's feedback silenced everyone as the Headmaster gave his speech. Weiss was partly listening to the speech, as she is mostly thinking about today again, repeating the events once more and adding more to it with what just happened. Is it...is it possible that these people would be her classmates?

This couldn't possibly get any worse.

The dork from before appeared beside the heiress. "I'm a natural blonde you know." Weiss rolled her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.

Great.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Chapter 05 Curiouser and Curiouser


	6. Chapter 05: Curiouser and Curiouser

**Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo while belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth**  

* * *

"What? She's  _15_?" Renji questioned before blocking an upcoming fist from his team's leader. He and Ichigo are sparing with hand-to-hand combat in one of Beacon's training halls closest to their dorm. Tatsuki is seating on a bench with a bottle of water in hand, already having a turn in sparing. The two continue to exchanged fist after fist at eachother before Ichigo manages to Renji in a headlock.

"Yep. And the guy she's with doesn't even have his Aura unlocked." Ichigo said, keeping his hold in place as Renji struggled to get himself free. The latter then decides to use his leg to swing at the back of Ichigo's knees, causing him to lose his grip and fall on to his rear.

"Ichigo and I kinda wondered if the Headmaster have something up his sleeves." Tatsuki said.

"And that would be...?" Renji questioned, offering Ichigo a hand.

"I don't know..." He said. He accepts the hand and returned on to his feet. "Old Man Oz's always seems to be nuttier than a fruit cake." The two guys look over to see Tatsuki walking towards them.

"My turn." Tatsuki said.

"All yours." Ichigo said, walking over to the bench and sat down. Tatsuki and Renji began to circle around each other, watching for any openings to strike at. Renji seems to have spot as he charges towards Tatsuki. The woman easily blocked the attack and went to strike him with an uppercut. Renji dodges and aims a low kick at Tatsuki's legs. She leaps away before aiming a fist at Renji, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her into a hold similar to Ichigo's from before.

"Are you guys done yet?" Rukia called in from the training hall entrance.

"Oh, hey Rukia!" Renji greeted. "Wanna have a go?"

"No thanks." Rukia declined. "I came by to tell you three to get in the showers. Uryuu's almost done with dinner."

Noticing that Renji is distracted, Tatsuki used the oppritunity to grab his arm before flipping him over her shoulder and slammed on the ground, flat on his back. "Alright, boys. Let's go." Tatsuki said as she walked out. The only answer she got from the tattooed male was a pained groan. Tatsuki laugh as she exits the training hall. Ichigo walks over to help Renji back up to his feet as he did for Ichigo.

"When will I learn to not drop my guard around her?" Renji asked.

"Probably a few years. Took me a while and I still have the occasion suplex." Ichigo said.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Ichigo sighs to himself as he exits the bathroom and enters the kitchen/living room, a towel draped over his shoulders. He sees that Uryuu had just finished cooking and everyone is filling their plates with food and judging from the spicy aroma, it's South Vacuo-style. Orihime notices him and beams a smile. "Come on, Kurosaki-kun! You better hurry before all the food is gone!" She said, waving an empty plate. Ichigo chuckled to himself, knowing how true it might be. Despite being such a curvaceous young woman, Orihime is a big eater. Ichigo figured that the excess calories simply went to...other places. He strode over, accepting the plate Orihime offered him. He gathers his portion of the meal before joining the rest of friends at the table. All the while, the Vale News Network is on the holographic screen in the living room area.

/ _...Once more, Roman Torchwick is on the run after robbing yet another Dust Shop and the police were unable reprimand him._ / Lisa Lavender stated, showing a mugshot of the criminal.

"Hmmmm..." Rukia hummed.

"Lien for your thoughts?" Tatsuki offered.

"I just find it a bit strange." Rukia answered.

"Strange how?" Orihime asked.

"Strange that Torchwick from being a small-time criminal and fugitive to stealing thousands of Lien worth of Dust just like that." Mizuiro explained, snapping his fingers for emphasis.

"...I still don't get it." Keigo says. Uryuu readjusts his glasses.

"It's one thing to steal a necessary amount of Dust for one or two people every now and again, since there are evidence that Torchwick has an accomplice." Uryuu starts. "But to abscond an entire store-worth of merchandise periodically..."

"Makes it seem that the guy is working for a group." Tatsuki finished.

Keigo scratches his head. "Sooooo, the White Fang?"

"Nah." Renji dismissed. "It would have been a possibility if this happened over five years ago, but with the White Fang becoming a radical group, any non-Faunus members were kicked out, some with force."

"It doesn't matter in the end." Ichigo spoke for the first time since seating down, scooping up a spoonful of dirty rice. "This is the responsibility of the police, not Huntsmen."

"Oh, come one, Ichigo." Keigo complained. "You have to be at least a bit curious about this."

"Not really." It is true. When it comes to Kingdom matters, it's the job of the police or whoever is in charge to resolve the issue, not the Huntsmen or Huntresses who are trained to deal with matters well outside the safety of the Kingdoms.

/ _And in other news, another group of kidnapped children has been found in an abandoned facility located in the center of Sanus. Fortunately, none of the children seems to be harmed and are safely returned to their families, thanks to the Huntsmen and Huntresses./_  Lavender continued, showing a photo of a group of kids gathering around a Huntsman and Huntress, who are being congratulated by the parents. / _This marks the seventh occurrence of a series of kidnappings all throughout Remnant in the past twenty-years and to this day, it is still unknown who the culprit, or culprits, are and if the kidnappings are connected to one another. Many have raised the question of the White Fang being the cause, but there are some speculations of the Quincy cult organization, the Wandenreich, being the perpetrators due to the facility being in close proximity to Lopt. Currently, there are no answers to either confirm or deny any of these claims._ / The holographic screen turned off, courtesy of Tatsuki.

"Those poor children..." Orihime said, her eyes saddened. "I'm happy that they've returned to their homes." She picks up a bottle of chocolate syrup and squirts some chocolate on her beans. "Their families must have been so worried."

Tatsuki turns to Uryuu. "Weren't you kidnapped before?"

"Yes." Uryuu answered. "But it was more about ransom due to the status of my family." That's not surprising. The Ishida family have taken ownership of many hospitals and medical facilities, which includes the Atlesian Medical Center. So of course, by being such an elite family would garner unsavory attention.

Silence fell as everyone eats, enjoying their meal, every now and again new conversations starts among, whether it's about recent events, school or what happened over the new year break. Ichigo can't help but smile to himself as the sight of his friends. It felt like it was yesterday when all eight of them first sat on this table, awkward silence and all.

All is good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: The New Step


	7. Chapter 06: The New Step

**Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo while RWBY belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth**

* * *

_~The morning of the initiation~_

Pyrrha Nikos had long since been used to the stares and whispers. It comes with the 'star athlete' status, after all.

"Alright." Pyrrha Nikos said as she checks her internal checklist from her sit on a bench in the locker room. "Armor on, ammunition checked, weapons loaded. Well, I'm ready to go."

"And so are we!" A cheery girl popped up from behind the Mistralian, startling her.

"Oh! Oh, Nora..." Pyrrha breathed, a hand to her chest. "...You startled me." Despite of this, Pyrrha gave the girl a smile.

"Whoops. My bad." Nora said rather playfully. Next to her is her ever-so silent companion, Lie Ren.

"My apologies on Nora's behave." the slender male in green said. Nora puffed her cheeks in annoyance.

"Reeeen. You make it seem like I did it on purpose." She whined. She quickly turned to Pyrrha so fast that the latter was worried that the former was going to suffer from a whiplash. Her mood changed just as quickly too. "Oh! Pyrrha! Did you know that there is a Quincy here?!" Ren sighed.

"Nora, it's not that much of a big deal to see one here..." He pointed out.

"Oh, come on, Ren!" Nora complained. "We only knew one Quincy and we didn't get to see another one until yesterday."

"That doesn't mean that the Quincys are scarce." Ren said.

Pyrrha smiled some more at the two. She meet them not long after boarding the airship to Beacon back in Argus. Like anyone else, Nora was excited to meet the famed Pyrrha Nikos and praised all of her accomplishments, much to the latter's well hidden chagrin. But then, it quickly changed to other things not pertaining to Pyrrha, such as how excited Nora is to attending Beacon and pancakes, then talking about a dream she had, with Ren correcting some parts. Pyrrha didn't mind the babbling. At least they're not about her. As for the stoic boy, he had mostly kept to himself for the majority of the ride, only talking when spoken to.

"So, Pyrrha." The sound of Nora's upbeat voice brought Pyrrha from her thoughts. "Wanna be in our team? We can make secret signals to each other. We should also look for one more, since the teams have four people. Maybe the Quincy..." Ren only rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"A team..." Pyrrha beamed at the two. "That sounds lovely." And it was the truth.

"Great!" Nora exclaimed. "So, you ready to go? Ren and I are gonna go ahead to Beacon Cliff."

"You two go on. I'll be there shortly." Pyrrha said.

"Are you sure?" Nora asked. "We can wait for you."

"Oh, no. It's fine." Pyrrha reassured. "I just need a moment to myself, that's all. To take everything in."

"Well, alright. Let's go, Ren." Nora said as she skips off. "See you later, Pyrrha!"

"It was nice meeting you again." Ren said to Pyrrha before following his hyperactive friend.

Pyrrha's smile grew as she watched the two leave. She wasn't lying about needing a moment. Far from it. She hadn't felt so nervous since she first participated in the Mistral Regional Tournament. She's finally gonna become a Huntress. She pulls out a Scroll, seeing a message from her mother back in Argus. It was a typical, motherly text. Is everything okay? Did you make it there safely? Have you made any new friends yet? She sends her mother a message, telling her everything of her trip to Beacon, before hugging her Scroll to her chest. She felt she has finally made friends.

"Pyrrha Nikos, right?" a new voice asked her. She turned to see a white-haired girl with light blue eyes and a scar over her left one.

"Yes. I am." Pyrrha confirms, standing up to her feet. "And you are?"

The girl takes out her hand for a handshake. "Weiss Schnee, Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company." She said in a business-like tone. A tone that Pyrrha is also used to.

She gives her a polite smile and shook her hand. "Well its very nice to meet you. I thought you looked familiar."

"Thank you. So, Pyrrha, you've heard about the whole team thing, right?"

Pyrrha nods. "Yes. I have."

"Well, I was wondering if you and I would team up." If Pyrrha had wanted to exasperate a sigh, she would have done it at that moment.

"Hello, ladies..." a new person comes into view, trying (and failing) at being suave. Someone Weiss apparently recognized.

"Not you again..." She groaned. Pyrrha, however, waved polite.

"Hello. And what is your name?" That earned her a light slap at her arm by the heiress, who gave her an 'are-you-crazy?' look.

"The names Jaune Arc." The blonde reveals. "Fancy seeing you here, Snow Angel."

Weiss rolled her eyes. Pyrrha, however, remained polite. "It is nice to meet you, Jaune."

"Yeah, thank you." Jaune said hurriedly, almost blowing the renown warrior off. Which was very new to her. Normally, at this point, the boy would be gushing about her skills and talent. "So, I've been hearing some stuff about teams and I was wondering if you could be in mine." He finally looks at Pyrrha. "Oh, and you too, if you want."

"Jaune, right?" Weiss said, getting his attention again. "Do you know who this woman is?"

The blonde stares at the armored girl. "Mmmm...nope, never seen her before." Both girls' eyes widened in shock.

"Y-You're kidding right?" Weiss asked.

"Uh-uh."

"You don't know who  _she_  is?" Weiss asked. "Pyrrha Nikos?"

"Yep."

"Uhhhh. She's the three-time champion of the Mistral Regional Tournament." Weiss said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Jaune took a moment to think carefully. "Nope. Never heard it."

Weiss growled. "She's the current mascot for Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes!"

Jaune's eyes widened. "Whoa, really? That's cool!"

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me..." Weiss groaned, clearly getting more frustrated. Pyrrha on the other hand, was lost in her thoughts. He didn't know who she is.  _He didn't who she is_. Pyrrha is brought out of her thoughts when she heard Weiss say the word 'help'. In quick motion and without thinking, Pyrrha turned Miló into its long javelin form and, with great aim, pins Jaune by his hoodie to a nearby wall.

"I'm sorry!" Pyrrha apologized with absolute sincerity, hoping she really didn't hurt the poor boy.

/Would all first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation? Again, all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately. Thank you./ Glynda announced over the intercom.

"Let's go, Pyrrha." Weiss said as she walks off.

"It was nice meeting you." Pyrrha said as she uses her Semblance to call back her javelin.

"Likewise..." Jaune muttered in disappointment.

"Come on, Pyrrha." Weiss called out. Pyrrha hurried along to catch up to her. As they walked, Weiss again talked about how much of a great team they would be. Her words fall on deaf ears as Pyrrha looks back to where Jaune is, seeing him being helped by a blonde girl and a girl wearing a red hood. One thought went through her mind.

He didn't know who she is. He didn't know who  _Pyrrha Nikos_  is. He didn't know she is a renown warrior and her exploits. Pyrrha places her hands over her chest, feeling her heart beating rapidly. Why does she feel so...happy?

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Another year and another promising bunch of Remnant's potential guardians, Ozpin thought as he sips his freshly brewed coffee, feeling the rough tangyness scorch his mouth and stimulating his senses. He looks out at the beautiful Emerald Forest, where the first group of first-years were launched for their initiation. He then looks at the Scroll tablet in his free hand, one of the well hidden surveillance cameras focused on the partnered up Ruby Rose and Weiss Schnee, who are currently lost. Every now and again, the two girls would argue over something, which reminds Oz of a certain pair during their initiation two years ago.

" _Are you sure this is a good idea?"_ A voice in his mind said.

The question made Ozpin think back over what occurred a week ago...

_~~~~~ Flashback: One Week Ago ~~~~~_

" _Good evening, Ozpin." an older man greets as the Headmaster enters the Vale Council Room. Despite the greeting, the man didn't seem thrilled._

" _Same to you, Councilman Rouge." Ozpin greets back, though more friendly. He turns to the other three Council people, two men and a woman. "As well as to Councilmen Blau, Morado, and Lena." The three only acknowledged him with slight disdain, similar to Rouge_

_Rouge interlocked his fingers together. "Let's get to business." He lifts a document in front of him. "Earlier this week, you've sent a form to us about a request for a slight change to the Huntsmen educational system."_

" _That is correct."_

" _And that change is to have the upperclassmen of your school to...chaperone the new students."_

" _That's one way to put it, yes."_

" _So you are going to shirk your responsibilities as Headmaster." Lena says, her blonde eyebrows scrunching in ridicule, reminding Ozpin very much of Glynda. Though, in comparison, Glynda was more pleasant to be around. "How irresponsible. Oswald was a fool for selecting such an incompetent child as successor before his last days."_

" _With all do respect, Councilwoman Lena, I'd advise you not to speak ill of the dead." Ozpin says sagely. "It is unwise."_

" _Are_ you _giving_ us _orders?" Blau questioned,his tone threatening._

" _No, no, not at all." Ozpin dismissed, not feeling the least bit intimidated. "Grand Councilmen, as you are aware, this world that we live in is a dangerous one. Death and hostilities lurk in every corner and shadow, ready to snuff out every light of life in it's paths. In this day and age, with newer, more complex Grimm, the most important courses of action is cooperation and camaraderie. To form bonds that will not only give many a sense of safety, but would also provide positive reinforcement, especially in a situation where even the slightest bit of negativity could mean the end."_

" _Even if what you say is true," Morado started. "that doesn't insure the succession of this change. Besides, isn't that the reason for the inclusion of four-people teams?"_

" _True. However, that shouldn't stop us for trying." Ozpin said. "And besides: What better way to teach the new students their craft by learning from someone who has more experience."_

" _I highly doubt your predecessors would agree to this decision." Rouge commented._

_Ozpin only grinned. "Oh, believe me, Councilman Rouge. They would have agreed. 100%." Somewhere, in the back of Ozpin's mind, the statement couldn't have been more true._

_~~~~~ Flashback Ends~~~~~_

In the end, Ozpin got an approval to began the Program, not without a very subtle warning from Councilman Rouge, of course.

"There is nothing to worry about." Ozpin said, mostly to himself. He lifts his coffee to have a drink.

In mid-sip, he heard, "Professor Ozpin." from Glynda. "The last pair has been formed, sir." She taps on her own Scroll tablet. "Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren. Poor boy... I can't possibly imagine those two getting along. Still, he's probably better off than Miss Nikos." Ozpin only hummed in response. "Speaking of which, what did you use as relics this year?" There was silence. "Professor Ozpin?" More silence. Glynda looks over to the man of mystery watching a footage of Weiss and Ruby, the former claiming she knows where to go. "Professor Ozpin." The Headmaster finally looks at her. "About the Program...Is it truly a wise decision?"

Ozpin chuckled. "Glynda, everything will be fine."

"I'm not sure..." Glynda said softly, staring at the footage of her tablet. There are six videos covering the screen, each showing a pair of first-years: Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos, Ruby Rose and Weiss Schnee, Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren, and Yang Xiao Long and Blake Belladonna.

"Glynda." The blonde woman looks over to her superior. "Please send a message to all student council members and call for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year students to the amphitheater." He turns and looks at her with a knowing smile. "Trust me, it will work." Glynda merely stares at him for a moment, almost analyzing him. Then again, has his plans turned out disastrous before? Glynda sigh in resign.

"Of course, Prof. Ozpin." With that, she walks off. Ozpin turns his attention back to the Emerald Forest. He takes another sip of his coffee.

Yes. Another interesting year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: The Mentorship Program


	8. Chapter 07: The Mentorship Program

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before we start with this chapter, I want to tell a story. A story of how I got into RWBY. I think it was four years ago in February, I was scrolling through Netflix to see what to watch. I have come across RWBY many times before, but for what ever reason, I wasn't interested. I remember even thinking that the 'B' should be blue, not black. Anyways, it was on the 3rd when I finally decided to watch it. I was instantly hooked the moment This Will Be the Day started playing. After Vol 1, I quickly started to watch Vol 2 before I watched the trailers.
> 
> After all of that, I was thinking 'Is there gonna be more?'. I went on the internet to find anything and that's when I learned that Monty Oum died two days prior and the crew weren't sure of what to do with RWBY yet. I was so upset. This show was freakin' amazing and it was about to be snipped at the bud too early. So, imagine my happiness when Vol 3 was announced. I truly became a RWBY fan. I started to look at things involving RWBY as I waited and began to notice something. So many people were so heartbroken at Monty's death, all of them talking about how the man inspired them to do great things.
> 
> I became even more upset because I realized that I will never get the chance to meet Monty. I would very much praise those who did get the chance to him. Given how things are now revolving RWBY, I hope that Monty is still by CRWBY/RoosterTeeth's side, giving them the inspiration to keep moving forward.

**Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo while RWBY belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth**

* * *

**Chapter 08: The Mentorship Program**

* * *

Uryuu sucked in a deep breath before releasing it slowly, steeling himself before the announcement begins. He thinks back to a few hours ago, before the initiation, where Ozpin called for him to his office. Upon arriving, the headmaster began to tell the young Quincy about his new program...

_~~~~~ Flashback: A Few Hours Ago ~~~~~~_

" _The Mentorship Program?" Uryuu questioned. He was sitting in a chair on the other side of Ozpin's desk. In his hands is a mug of freshly brewed coffee._

_Ozpin takes a sip from his own mug. "Yes, I thought it will be a fine addition to the system. Thankfully, the Vale Council approved it."_

_Uryuu lifts the mug to his lips. "Are the other academies involved in this?"_

_Ozpin shook his head. "No. We'll be the first to do this. Think of it more as a trial run."_

" _Hmmm." Uryuu says as he drinks some of the coffee, hiding a slight grimace at the strong flavor. He internally wishes that he could add more cream to it._

" _Here."Ozpin handed him a piece of paper. "Everything about the Program is on this paper. You may discuss this with the rest of the student council. After that, call for the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th years to the amphitheater to announce it."_

" _Of course." Uryuu said. He places the half-empty mug on the desk. "Thank you, professor." Uryuu gets up from his seat, before heading towards the elevator, paper in hand._

" _Uryuu..." He heard Ozpin. He stopped and turned his head to see that the man's smile has changed to a serious frown. "Have you and your team made a decision yet?" Ozpin asked._

" _No, professor." Uryuu answered after a long pause, turning around to face his headmaster fully. "We still think that we are not ready yet."_

" _Not ready." Ozpin echoed, almost in disbelief. "I find it hard to believe because with everything that Team IURR has done for the people of Remnant, I have no doubt that you four are more than qualified."_

_Uryuu has a memory in rain, rain that is attempting to cleanse innocent blood. That same blood covering a lone doll. His hand gripped into a tight fist as he remembers it."With all do respect, sir, it's still too early to draw such conclusions." Uryuu said, his tone even._

_Ozpin's smile returned, though more in solace. "Well, all right then. But, please, do keep in mind that the offer stands until September, one month before the tournament." Traditionally, October is the last month of the school year. Within the first week actually._

" _Okay. Thank you, sir." Uryuu thanked before heading for the elevator, with one lingering thought in mind: Are they really ready?_

_~~~~~~~ Flashback Ends ~~~~~~~_

"Get ready, Prez." He heard Coco saying. Uryuu looks around to see the students gathering into the amphitheater. He looks at his fellow student council members and then walks over to the microphone. He taps on the item, causing a feedback to sound. He waits for a moment for everyone to quiet down. He can see his partner's vibrant hair-color amongst the crowd, taking mental note of his uncombed hair.

"Thank you all for coming here today. I have a special announcement from our Headmaster, who is currently watching over the initiation with Professor Goodwitch." Uryuu pauses for moment. "Starting this year, we will take part in a program to assist the new students: The Mentorship Program." A holographic screen appeared. Uryuu then continues. "As the name suggests, an upper-class team will be assigned to a first-year team based on adequacy and capabilities." A few teams of four began appearing on the screen, representing the older teams, before smaller figures appear, representing first-years. Lines began to appear, connecting an older team to a first-year team. "The Mentorship Program is to insure the training and growth of the new students. We will know which team we are assigned to tomorrow morning at 8 o' clock. As such, school is off tomorrow for the Program to begin. That is all." The crowd whispered among themselves. Predictably, Keigo moaned and groaned at this. Ichigo, on the other hand, was glaring where the holographic screen was, trying to process it all.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Are you shittin' me right now?" Keigo questioned in disbelief.

Tatsuki looks to her teammate. "Well, it's Professor Ozpin's idea. Given how things are, he probably just wants to make sure everyone would be ready."

Keigo huffed. "But why do we have to be babysitters, then!?"

"Take it up with our headmaster." Uryuu says.

Orihime claps her hands together. "I think it's gonna be a lot of fun! It's almost like when we used to have a Huntsman aid us when we got our first mission."

"Well, whatever." Keigo dismissed. He quickly turns to his amber-haired. "Hey, Ichigo! Wanna go to the arcade tomorrow? I heard there's gonna be a new installment of  _Corona_ -"

"No." Came Ichigo's blatant response. This, of course, made Keigo upset.

"Oh, come on!" He whined. "You heard Four-Eyes, tomorrow's our last day before we have to go back to school stuff! What are ya? A nerd? Live a little!"

"Uh, Keigo?" Mizuiro started. "You do realize that tomorrow is not a free day, right?"

"That doesn't mean anything." Keigo said. " I was thinking. There's gonna be like, what, sixteen first-year teams at most? And there's like, forty-eight older teams including us and team CFVY, right? What are the odds of our teams being chosen?" The rest of the group only stood there, staring at the brunette as though he was a new animal species. Very few people know this, but Keigo is surprisingly brilliant despite all his talk about having brains is for nerds. How else was he able to make this far? He just uses his smarts for things like video games and girls.

"Leave it to Keigo to use his brain to get out of work." Mizuiro said deadpanned.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Ugh. Why? Just...why? Of all people, why did Ruby had to be paired up with Weiss, that stuck-up know-it-all heiress.

"Pick up the pace, Ruby!" Weiss demanded.

"Ugh, what's the point of being in a hurry when we have no idea where we're going?" Ruby pointed out.

"Just. Keep. Moving." Weiss demanded. Ruby only rolled her eyes. "Why do you want to become a huntress, anyway? Did your sister read you bedtime stories or something?" Weiss mocked.

"A-As a matter of fact, yes!" Ruby declared. "Ever since I was little, I had heard stories of heroes and monsters and I wanted to be just like them!"

"Stories...Really, what are you, twelve?" Weiss asked rhetorically. "This is the real world, Ruby. Not one of those stupid fairy tales. Grow up. If you can't handle that, then go back home and have your mother read you more childish stuff."

That stung Ruby. Even after every insult Weiss has thrown at her, none of them hurt her like that.

"I have lost someone very important to me a long time ago. My mom." the silver-eyed girl revealed, trying very hard not to have tears form, though her voice wavered. "While I only have vague memories of her, the hurt was still there. What I do know was that she was a Huntress and that she died doing what she wanted to do. Save people. And that's why I'm here."

Weiss stood there in silence, staring at Ruby, her expression turning from indifference to something akin to shock. Up until now, Ruby was nothing more than a child trying to be an adult in the heiress' eyes. It made Weiss think about her own mother. Very much alive, yes, but...

"I..." Weiss began, but was unable to continue as a hollow pressure fell upon the two girls, very nearly bringing them to their knees. A loud caw echoed through the air as a shadow looms over. They look up, seeing a giant black bird with a white mask, red eyes and markings.

"A Giant Nevermore..." Weiss identified.

"Uh oh..." Ruby muttered. Not good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last scene is inspired by a part in the RWBY Anthology: Red Like Roses. Also, I'm borrowing the mentorship idea from Sourl3monz's own RWBY/Bleach crossover, Legend of the Vizards.
> 
> ….................
> 
> Next Chapter: Team Up


	9. Chapter 08: Team Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo while RWBY belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth

"Oooooh...Hey Blake, I think we found it!" Yang announced to her new partner.

"I can see it." Blake said, walking past Yang. The blonde only shrugged and followed. They take a closer look at the 'relics'. "Chess pieces..."

"Some are missing." Yamg noticed. "So, I guess we pick one, right?" She pick up a white knight. "How about a cute little pony?"

Blake tries to hold back a smirk. "Sure."

Yang then clapped her hands together. "Whelp, since Ruby isn't here yet, let's chill for a moment before—" A high-pitched scream can be heard from somewhere in the forest. "Some girl's in trouble!"

Blake looked skeptical. "That sounded too...falsetto to a girl."

"Come one, Blake!" Yang urged. "We have our relics, so let's go into the forest to – "

"Head's uuuuuuuup!" A familiar girl in a red hood shouted...from the sky? Everyone looks up to see Ruby falling towards them, only to be hit by an airborne Jaune and into the trees.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"That...wasn't the best idea..." Ruby groaned from her position on a tree branch.

"Tell me about it..." Jaune muttered, who is sprawled over her, not looking any better.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Uh, wasn't that Ruby just now?" Blake asked Yang.

"And Vomit Boy?" Yang added.

A low growl is heard from back in the woods as an Ursa appeared. Everyone would have ready themselves for a fight if it wasn't for the fact that there was a girl riding on top of the Grimm like a mechanical bull.

"YEE-HAAAW!" The girl shouted with absolute glee. Her ride was unfortunately over as the Ursa killed over, motionless. "Awww, it broke." She pouted for a moment before dashing off. Following close by was a young male, clearly exhausted from catching up to his partner. Over back to the girl, she grabbed a white rook from a pedestal. "I'm queen of the castle~" She sang.

"NORA!" The boy shouted, now near Blake. "Get...over here...now." He finally stops to catch his breath, his hands on his knees. Blake backed away to give him room to breathe.

"Coming, Renny!" Nora said, prancing over to her winded partner.

"Okaaay, that was weird." Yang said.

"You think?" Blake questioned.

Then, out of the blue, Pyrrha Nikos comes running in with a giant Death Stalker on her tail.

"Well, that's fantastic." Blake said sarcastically.

"Yang!" Ruby shouts as she runs towards her sister.

"Ruby!" Yang shouts, enveloping her sister in a bone crushing hug before letting go. "Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?"

"I think the better question is: Where did you fall from?" Blake asked.

Ruby suddenly looked nervous. "Uhhhh..." She pointed upwards. Everyone looks up to see a Giant Nevermore flying above them. There was a white figure hanging off of one of it's talons. It was Weiss Schnee.

"Why were you on a Giant Nevermore?" Yang asked her sister.

"I THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA!" Ruby shouted.

"She's gonna fall." Blake said, referring to Weiss.

"Oh, she'll be fine." Ruby said.

"She's falling." Ren pointed out.

Somehow, Jaune manages to jump in the air from the tree in an attempt to catch the heiress. Which failed horribly that ended with Jaune face-planted in the dirt and Weiss landing on top of him.

"My hero..." Weiss said, unimpressed.

"My back..." Jaune groaned.

"Ouch." Yang said at the sight. Then, everyone moves out of the way as Pyrrha was knocked onto the ground by the Death Stalker.

Nora zipped in. "Oh, hi Pyrrha!"

"Hello, again..." Pyrrha greeted, trying to remain cheerful despite everything.

"Don't worry. I got this!" Ruby said as she sprinted off, her Crescent Rose ready.

"Ruby, wait!" Yang shouts, running after her.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Nice job on breaking my fall,  _hero_." Weiss said sarcastically at Jaune, who was still in pain.

"Anything for a damsel-in-distress." He groaned, rubbing his back.

"I am a damsel and I was in distress, but I could've handle it myself. Thank you, though." The heiress said in a condescending tone, turning around as she looks for her partner. She finally spots her trying to 1v1 a Death Stalker. The heiress rolled her eyes at the sight. She's definitely crazy for trying face Death Stalker that size on her own. She thought back to the...conversation they had before the Giant Nevermore appeared. Weiss would be lying if she didn't think that Ruby was committed to this. She would also be lying if she said that she didn't had the same fairy tale dreams that Ruby have about heroes and villains. Unfortunately, life didn't remained that way for the young heiress. She no longer had a caring father, a loving mother who turns to alcohol, an older sister who's barely there, and a younger brother who slowly turning into their father. Weiss could tell just from meeting Ruby's sister, Yang, that the red hooded girl lived in a much more stable household. Weiss can't help but feel just a ping of jealousy of the silver-eyed girl.

A hand on her shoulder took her out of her thoughts. "Huh, Weiss?" Jaune said looking up.

"Ugh, what is it now?" She questioned. A monstrous caw makes her look up to see the Giant Nevermore shooting out it's feathers to the ground, preventing Yang from helping Ruby and Ruby's cape gets snagged. Weiss then gasps when the Death Stalker moves in to kill Ruby. Without thinking, Weiss summons a Glyph and dashes forward, vaguely registering Jaune's shout for them. She readies Myrtenaster, setting the revolver to a white capsule. Her Ice Dust. " **Blooming Glacier!** "

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

" **Blooming Glacier!** " Ruby heard as she has her eyes closed and shielded herself from the stinger. When she realizes that she wasn't hit yet and the air felt chilly, she opened her eyes slightly, seeing a faint glimps of an ice wall and the back of her partner. Weiss' rapier is embedded in the ground, the source of the ice.

"...Weiss?" Ruby wondered. Said girl removed Myrtenaster from the frozen before she sliced at the feather pinning Ruby's cape. "Whoa..." Her moment of awe was cut short when Weiss faced her, her expression stern.

"Look, let's just go ahead get this out in the open: You are probably the most childish teenager I have ever met." Weiss confessed. Ruby looks down in shame. "However..." Ruby almost looked hopeful again. "It's obvious that you are serious about you being here. And I'll admit that I can a little...difficult to deal with. If we could just push all that aside, I think that we could work together. So, try not to kill to kill yourself from showing off and I'll...manage my temper."

"I-I'm sorry." Ruby apologized. "I just wanted to show you I can do this." Much to Ruby's surprise, Weiss smiled.

"It's okay." She reassured before walking away.

"Normal knees..." Ruby said to herself. She then finds herself in another bare hug from her big sister.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Ruby and Jaune went to retrieve their pieces from the pedestals, a white knight and a white rook respectively.

"Okay, so what's our next plan?" Yang asked.

"Well," Weiss started. "We've got what we came for and there isn't a reason for us to fight the Grimm."

"Weiss is right." Ruby said. That earned a smile from the heiress. "Our objective was only to get a relic and get back to Beacon Cliff."

"Sounds like a plan." Jaune agreed, giving a thumbs up.

Ruby nods. "Okay, let's go!"

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Russel Thrush. Cardin Winchester. Dove Bronzewing. Sky Lark." Ozpin announces as the screen of the amphitheater shows each of their profiles as the boys are lined up for the applauding audience to see. "The four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team CRDL, led by... Cardin Winchester!" The audience claps, Cardin having a smug look on his face.

"Jaune Arc. Lie Ren. Pyrrha Nikos. Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team JNPR. Led by... Jaune Arc!"

The look on Jaune's face very much matched Naoko's not too long ago. "M-me...?

"Congratulations..." Ozpin said.

A grinning Pyrrha offers a friendly shoulder bump to Jaune, but he was knocked over due to her strength. "Oh, I'm sorry."

Ozpin couldn't but laugh at the spectacle before continuing. "And finally: Blake Belladonna. Ruby Rose. Weiss Schnee. Yang Xiao Long. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team RWBY. Led by... Ruby Rose!" Just like Jaune before, Ruby was in shock. But, not as much as Weiss, who looks at her in disbelief even as Yang gave her baby sister a bone crushing hug. Why is  _she_  team leader and not Weiss?

Ozpin began to clear his throat as the applause quiet down and the newly formed Team RWBY left the stage. "Before you leave for the night and to your dorms, I have a special announcement." The audience stayed silent in bated breath. "As you all know, Huntsmen Academies was established almost eighty years ago, not too long after the Great War ended. Since the day the four major Academies were first opened, the practice of forming four-man teams were used to promote camaraderie and cooperativeness. This year, however, will be slightly different." The statement causes the new first-year students to mutter among themselves at this new development. "This year, starting tomorrow, Beacon Academy would be implementing a new project that what I liked to call: The Mentorship Program." The crowd started to ooh and awe at the idea. Ruby and Yang looked each other all giddy.

"Each freshman team will be assigned to either a 2nd, 3rd, or 4th year team as your guides. They will help you with your way around the school, train you, and assist you with any sort of problems you may be experiencing. They will not, however, be holding your hand. They are going to help you grow into the Huntsmen and Huntresses you are meant to be." Ozpin continued. "You all will know tomorrow at 9:30 am of whom your team is assigned to. On the same day, you will meet that assigned team in order to create. Now, you are all dismissed and have a good night."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Apprentice and Mentor (February 16)


	10. Chapter 09: Apprentice and Mentor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo while RWBY belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth

"NOOOOOOOO!" Keigo cried out in horror. He staggers into the living room/kitchen area, wearing a white/red striped overshirt, a shirt, dark gray pants, and brown shoes. In the kitchen area, Orihime is washing dishes from breakfast earlier, her clothes being a large pink sweater, a long sky blue skirt with white clouds, pink socks, and light green heeled shoes. In the living room area, Uryuu is seating on a couch, one leg over the other as he is reading a  _Was Once Human_  novel while listening to music from wireless light-blue/white headphones. He is wearing blue-colored jean jacket over a long-sleeve black turtleneck with thumb holes tucked in white skinny jeans, a black belt, and dark fold-over boots with blue/black plaid insides.

Rukia is also in the living room with Uryuu, sitting in an armchair adjacent to the sofa, drawing in her sketch book. She is wearing a light pink long sleeve shirt, a short light lavender pencil skirt, white leggings, and pink boots. Her white and pink coat is hanging off the coach in case if she goes out in the chilly air.

Keigo stumbles into the couch, falling over the back of it and face-first into one of it's cushions next to the bespectacled Quincy. Said Quincy paid no heed to the distraught male, who then moans pitifully in the cushion. Uryuu continues to ignore him as he flips a page. Keigo moans louder and, again, Uryuu ignores him. Rukia is trying her hardest not to laugh. Keigo moans again, but even louder. This time, Uryuu closes his book, pulls down his headphones to his shoulders, leans over to the armrest to place elbow and rests head in his hand. While Uryuu knew better than to give in, he decided to humor the resident drama queen. "Yes?" He dared to ask, staring at the wall.

Keigo turned his head around, as to face the paler male and speak more clear. "Has there been times where life have been so cruel to you? So cruel that you want nothing more than to just bury yourself in a hole?"

That was a stupid question, given who he is talking to. "If you count conversations like this, then yes." Uryuu said, completely deadpanned. "Several times." Orihime glanced over before returning to her dishes.

"It's just not fair. Not fair at all. Everything that I have planned for today: Down the drain!"

Uryuu looks at Rukia, who only shrugged at him. "What?" He asked.

Keigo straightens up before hopping over the back of the couch to seat next to Uryuu. "Listen to this, Four-eyes. I had everything planned for the day! Gonna go down in town to get the latest volume of Late Nite Jaguar, then watch  _Try Hard 2_ , and then have an awesome  _Corona 5_  party with Fox and Sparky."

"Okay?"

"But no. Nope, nada, negatory...How do you say no in Deutsche?"

"Nein."

"? Well, it doesn't matter. What matters is the needs of man. Can't a guy just go through the day how he wanted!?"

"...Was?" Uryuu wondered, speaking in his native tongue.

"Keigo, quit torturing Ishida." Ichigo chastised, walking up to the couch. He is wearing a pine green coat with tan inside, a white shirt with the number '15' in dark blue, light blue jeans, and dark brown shoes. "That's my job."

"Ha-ha, you're a comedian." Uryuu said with a roll of his eyes. "Now, would you mind telling me what the dummkopf is talking about?"

"He's just having an existential crisis because our team is chosen for the program." Tatsuki clarified, appearing behind them, Scroll in hand, showing the letters 'JNPR'. Tatsuki wore a long-sleeved light blue shirt, gray-green sweatpants, and dark green shoes. She tossed her dark green long-sleeved jacket over the back of another armchair on the opposite side of Rukia's. Mizuiro is at her side with his arms crossed, him wearing an off-white green hoodie and light pants and black shoes.

"Who are they?" Orihime asked, drying her hands with a hand towel.

"We weren't given that information, yet." Mizuiro answered. "We do get to know the pronunciation. It's pronounced 'Juniper', like the plant."

"Our team is chosen, too." Ichigo says, as Renji appeared in the room as well. He is wearing a dark brown jacket with a light brown tuff of fur on the collar, a dark crimson shirt, navy blue jeans, and black shoes. Around his neck is a loose black tie and a faded salmon color head-bandana.

Rukia looks up from her sketchbook. "Really?"

"Yep." Ichigo clarified. He hands his Scroll over to his Quincian partner to look at the team name. R W B Y.

"So, all we get are the team names?" Uryuu asked, giving Ichigo back his Scroll.

"I guess so." Ichigo said. "Old Man Oz said that he'll send videos of the initiation later. For now, we need to think of a place to meet with them."

"How about Jack's Java Beans?" Tatsuki proposed. "Pretty decent breakfast food there."

"Sounds good." Ichigo accepted. He opens his Scroll to send the message in.

"I hate the taste of coffee..." Renji complained.

"They also sell tea, you know." Rukia pointed out, getting up and grabbing her coat. Renji shrugged, complying.

"You guys are serious about this?" Keigo questioned. "Can we just, I don't know, reject it?"

"You want to  _reject_  an assignment that the  _headmaster of our school_  commissioned you to undertake? Be my guest." Uryuu said sarcastically.

"It is what it is." Ichigo said. "No use to argue about it." He turns to leave, followed by Uryuu, Rukia, Renji, Orihime, and Mizuiro.

"Where you guys going?" Keigo asked.

"You mean 'where are  _we_  going'." Tatsuki corrected. She grabs her jacket before dragging Keigo by his collar. "You are going too."

"THIS IS NOT FAIR!" Keigo cried out.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

The Sun has risen up on a new, beautiful morning in the City of Vale, particularly over one of Remnant's grandest Huntsman Academies: Beacon. The large star's rays reflected on the school's clean and clear surface, shining like it's namesake. The rays have also reached one of the school's dormitories, shining through a window as a certain white-haired heiress starts to wake up.

*FWEEEEE*, a whistle blared, startling the Schnee out of bed and on to the floor. The culprit, Ruby Rose, grinned with glee. "Good morning, Weiss!" Said girl grabbed on to her periwinkle sheets as she picked herself back up.

"Was that really necessary?" Weiss asked. She notices that Ruby is now wearing clothing for the cold weather outside: a long black sweater with a dark pink ribcage design, a hooded red jacket with a black cross on the back, dark gray leggings, and black belt-buckle boots. Her emblem is the ankle sides of her boots.

"Who cares?!" Ruby exclaimed in excitement. "We get to meet our mentors today! Now, come on and get dreESSED!" the girl had tripped over some of Weiss' luggage...again.

"Again, Ruby?" Weiss asked.

"Hey, it's not my fault this time!" Ruby argued, getting up and dusting herself off. She looks around their dorm room. Like the other dorms, it had two beds, two those one-piece desk/cabinet wardrobes, and a bookshelf just between their beds and below the window. Unlike other dorms, it has their personal belongings. A bit too much of them. "We need more room in here."

"And you do you propose? Bunk beds?" Weiss questioned rhetorically. That sparked an idea in Ruby's head.

"That's a great idea!" She declared.

"Ruby, I wasn't being serious. I was only-HEY! What are you doing?" Weiss questioned as Ruby pulled her out of their dorm room.

"Trust me on this, Weiss. You won't regret it." Ruby said before closing the door.

"That's exactly what you said before we were carried off by the Nevermore!" Weiss shouted. She can hear some commotion in there, even the sounds of power tools. What in the world is she doing in there? "Ruby!"

"Good morning, Ice Queen!" She heard Yang greet her from directly across the hall. Weiss looks over to see Yang and Blake (who is reading) exiting their own dorm. Yang is wearing a yellow wide-necked sweater that says 'Burning Love', black leggings, and black shoes. Blake is wears a purple hoodie over a black shirt with long-sleeves and thumb holes, dark jean shorts, black leggings, and brown boots with white socks. She wears a dark purple bow.

"What do you want?" Weiss asked, crossing her arms.

"Yikes, can't take a friendly greeting?" Yang said. Weiss only rolled her eyes. The sound of something falling in the closed off dorm garnered their attention.

"What's going on?" Blake asked, lowering her book, which reads  _Dancing With Demons_.

Weiss places a hand to her temple. "I don't even want to know... Yang, can you do something about this? She is  _your_  sister."

"What is she doing?" Yang asked.

"She's making bunk beds, some how..." Weiss answered.

"Bunk beds?" Yang wondered slowly.

"I wasn't being serious about it, but Ruby went on a head and-Where did she go?" Weiss asked, seeing that Yang is no longer there. The door to Yang's and Blake's room closed.

"There's your answer." Blake said bluntly before returning to her book. Weiss' shoulder slumped.

"I can't believe this..." She said to herself.

"Is everything...okay?" Pyrrha asked as she and Nora came out of their room, next to Weiss and Ruby's. Pyrrha wore a crimson sweater with a bronze-colored shirt underneath, gray trousers rolled up to her knees, black stockings, and brown ankle boots. As for Nora, a pink, sloth-themed coat and white shirt, a blue layered skirt, light pink stalkings, and pink winter boots. Jaune and Ren emerged as well, their room just across Pyrrha and Nora's and next to Blake and Yang's. Jaune's current clothing consists of a sky blue hoodie over a long-sleeved black shirt, blue jeans, and black shoes. For Ren, a long-sleeved, wide collar shirt with three diagonal stripes (green/dark pink/magenta), a spring green hooded jacket with a woolly inside, laurel green pants, and black shoes.

Yang pokes her head out of the room. "Hey, Blake. Are there any books you are not reading?"

"Just this one for now." the black-haired girl said. Taking that as an answer, Yang goes back into the room, closing the door again.

Jaune walks over to Weiss. "So, uh, Weiss. You're looking lovely this morning. I'm sure a Snow Angel like you can tackle the day in anything. Even in pajamas."

Weiss looks down at herself before moving to the door, slamming her hand on the wood. "Ruby Rose! You better open this door this instant or so help me I'll – "

"Done!" Ruby exclaimed with a huge grin. Not wasting anymore time, Weiss pushes Ruby aside and enters the room. She stopped in her tracks when she was inside. Somehow, managed move around the funiture. The bookshelf stayed where it was, but Weiss' desk/wardrobe was moved next to Ruby's to the right wall. Weiss' suitcases containing her Dust is in the lower left hand corner of the room. But all that was not the reason the heiress was struck speechless. What did her was what she perceives to be is Ruby's bed dangling above hers by rope! That just screamed danger.

Blake and Team JNPR gathered around the doorway to look at Ruby's work. "Oooooh. We should do the same!" Nora proposed with excitement.

"Nora..." Ren said, his tone stern.

Nora pouted. "Hmph, party-pooper..." She muttered.

"See, Weiss?" Ruby said. "Now, we have more room. What do you think?" Weiss' only response is slamming the door in Ruby's face. "Okay! See you in a little...bit."

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Cardin said as he entered the floor with his team in tow. He strolls to Jaune, putting him in a tight headlock. "Jauney-boy, right?"

"Uh, yeah, that's me..." Jaune choked.

"How did a lucky guy like you find yourself in a room full of girls, huh?" Cardin asked with a smirk.

" _Full_  of girls?" Jaune echoed in confusion. He glances over to the only 'feminine' looking guy: Ren. Very soon, the rest of the dorm residences came down.

"Good morning, everyone!" Velvet Scarletina said as she entered. "I see you are up and ready to go! I'm Velvet Scarletina, a second year and member of Team CFVY, as well as the historian for the student council. I'm sure you all have heard of the Mentorship Program. I'm here to tell each of you your assigned teams. Is this everyone?"

"Um, no." Ruby said. "My partner is still in our room getting ready." As if on cue, Weiss came out, now wearing a sailor dress. A light blue long sleeve middy blouse, the collar and cuffs a white color, a blue ribbon tied at the collar, a white sash around her waist, and a light blue skirt. Underneath the blouse, she wears a long-sleeve blue turtleneck and blue pantyhose and white ankle boots. In the crook of her arm, she carries a white, brand name expensive purse. "Never mind. Everyone's here."

"Alright." Velvet brings up a Scroll tablet. "Does anyone have any questions before I tell you your guiding team?" Cardin raises his hand. "Yes?"

"Are those things real?" Cardin asked.

Velvet's left ear twitched. "Is what real?" Said left ear bend down, showcasing her confusion.

"These." Cardin said, making bunny ears with his hands mockingly. His teammates started to snicker, as well as some of other first-years.

"My ears? Yes, they are real. Anymore questions?" Russell raises his hand. "Yes?"

"Do you like carrots?" he asked, earning more snickers from his team.

"Well, I like all kinds of vegetables, not just carrots." Sky raised his hand. "Yes?"

"How many siblings do you have? 5? 10? 20?" He asked, even more sneering chuckles came from the other jerks. This has also earned some glares from the others, especially Blake and Kailea.

"Actually, I'm an only child." Velvet said, a ting of rare irritation in her tone. "Now, does anyone else have any questions?" Team CRDL and a few others rose their hands. "That's not about me." They put their hands down. "Anyone? No? All right then, let's start with team CRDL." She starts to press buttons on her Scroll tablet. "The team you four are assigned to is...Team CFVY, my team." Velvet visibly slouched. "You four can wait with me until I finish and we can go. If not, then they're at one the garden pavilions. I can give you map if you don't know the way."

Cardin scoffed at the bunny Faunus. "Like we need it from YOU. Come on guys. Have fun Jauney boy with your harem!" Team CRDL laugh as they exited the building. As they walked by, they said some off-hand remark about not believing Velvet's ears are real. Her ears drooped slightly.

Ren leans over to Nora. "They know that I'm a boy...right?" Ren asked. The question left unanswered as Velvet continued on after shaking her head to compose herself.

She turn to team RWBY. "Now, Team RWBY. You girls are assigned to Team IURR."

Yang let out a huge gasp and her lilac eyes widened. "IURR?! Seriously?!" The poor rabbit Faunus was taken aback at Yang's outburst. The other first-years began to talk to one another about it.

"Is that a problem?" She asked worriedly.

" _Problem_? Oh, heck, no! That's awesome!" Yang exclaimed. "Team IURR is probably one of the best, if not THE best, team in our generation!"

"I've heard that they had faced a particularly strong Grimm during their freshman year." one female student said. She cups her chin in her fingers, thinking. "Although, I can't remember what that Grimm was..."

"Have any of you heard of Grand Fisher?" Blake questioned.

Ren raises up his have. "I have. It was an Adjuchas-class Grimm that was terrorizing the valleys of Anima for at least half a century."

"Yes. It had a lure with the ability to become a decoy of a person closest to the victim's heart, making them unwilling to attack." Pyrrha explained. She bows her head in mourning. "So many Huntsmen and Huntresses lost their lives trying to defeat it."

"And a team of first-years were the ones to do it?" Jaune wondered in awe. "That's so cool!"

"Coolest!" Ruby exclaimed with leap. Weiss' rolled her eyes at her.

Velvet smiled. "Well, you're in luck. They are over at a coffee shop called Jack's Java Beans. Team JNPR, the team you are assigned to, Team TAIM, is there as well. Do you want me to give you a map to find it?"

"Oh, I know where that is." Yang revealed. "It's over in the Vale Outlet Mall. I can lead us there."

"All right." Velvet said. "Teams IURR and TAIM are really good friends of mine and my team. I know you eight would have a great time. You might want to hurry though. The next subway to the city will leave in about ten minutes. Now, the next team is Team KAZE..."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Jack's Java Beans is a rather nice place, stuck between clothing stores Always 17 and Hot Trends. Inside are various shades of brown, very reminiscing of a certain 2nd year team. Sometimes, Ichigo wonders if Coco owns this place. It's surprisingly fancy looking. There is a bar where the store's owner, Jack Greener, keeps an eye on the place, four to eight tables with four chairs each, and a lounge area in the back, consisting of four couches around a large table and a self filled with books. Team IURR and TAIM are in the lounge area, waiting for the freshman team they are assigned to.

Keigo is playing a video game on his Scroll, still upset about the whole thing. Mizuiro is also on his Scroll, texting. Orihime is reading one of the books from the shelf. Tatsuki is looking at recently sent footage of yesterday's initiation involving JNPR on her Scroll. Ichigo is doing the same, watching initiation videos, but of Team RWBY. Uryuu is reading a  _Solely Stitching_  magazine. Renji is simply relaxing on the couch with his arms stretched across the back of the couch. Rukia is drawing in her sketch book like earlier.

Tatsuki watches the part where Pyrrha Nikos was unlocking Jaune's Aura. Her eyes narrowed. As for Ichigo, his video eventually went to the fight with the Nevermore. He was very much surprised to see that the kid had managed to pass the exam, and became leader to boot. He looks up at the clock. 9:59 am. It takes about ten minutes get from Beacon and into the city by subway train, provided there are no interruptions and knowing Velvet, they've got what they needed. They should arrive any second now...

"Um, excuse me?" A girl's voice said. He turns to see Ruby Rose, as well as the rest of her team and, what he presumes, is the team Tatsuki and the others are looking after. "We're just wondering if you guys are-Wait. Hey, I've met you before!" She looks to the couch, spotting Tatsuki. "And you too!"

"Hey, little red." Tatsuki greet with a raised hand. She turns to Jaune. "You too Jaune. Congrats on becoming team leader."

"Ah, yeah, uh, thanks. Heh-heh." Jaune stammered.

"What are you all standing around for? Come and seat down." Ichigo said. "We've got a lot to cover before we could—"

"Uryuu?" Weiss spoke to the Quincy, cutting Ichigo off.

Dark slate blue eyes widen. "Weiss..." Uryuu said. The others looked back and forth at the two.

An awkward silence fell upon the group as Weiss tried to think of something else to say. "U-Um...I-I...I...see that you have grown taller!" She made a squeak sound before covering her mouth as her cheeks blushed in embarrassment. "I'm sorry!" The poor girl made a dash to the door, almost running into the glass before properly opening the door. Everyone could see her running to the left to who knows where. Probably to restroom since it's near Hot Trends.

Ruby shook her head to clear it. "Dah! Ah, as team leader, I'll go check on her!" She then runs after the heiress, but not before saying, "You guys start without us. Yang, you know what I want already!" as she runs out the cafe.

The rest of the group, as well as everyone else in the cafe, only stared at the closing door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Getting to Know (February 23)
> 
> Please leave a comment!!! <3


	11. Chapter 10: Getting to Know

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo while RWBY belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth

Weiss barged into the girls' restroom, startling an exiting occupant who runs out. The heiress starts to pace around room. “Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid!” she shouted at the last word, before internally exploding. What was _that_? _'I see you've grown taller'_? Of course he's taller now, you idiot! It's been _seven years_ since they have last saw each other. She finally calmed down a small bit before slumping down against the wall of the girls' restroom, hiding her tomato red face in her hands. How embarrassing...

She remembers back during her charity concert before she left for Beacon. It was during the after-party and she was with her father as the man praises how a member of the Schnee name is going to a major Huntsman Academy, flaunting as though it was _his_ decision. The scar on Weiss' left eye says otherwise. The youngest Schnee daughter eventually tuned her father out, focusing more on her surroundings. That's when she felt it. A familiar presence from long ago was in the same room with her. She looked around for that presence until she saw him leaving outside with three others. She was about move to catch-up with him, but her father clasped a hand on her shoulder, keeping her at his side, like a trophy. Her heart sank as she saw _him_ go.

She wanted desperately to rekindle their friendship. It was the first real friendship she had ever experienced growing up. Everyone else was fake. An hidden agenda behind every smile and gesture. Uryuu was the only one who shared that sentiment with her. Despite being two years older than her, he had wanted to be at her side purely because he _wanted_ to, not because of political ties and personal gain. But then, seven years ago, THAT day happened...

“Weiss?” Ruby peaked her head through the restroom door. “Are you o–”

“What do you want?” Weiss snapped

“Ah! Well-uh-I just-uh...I-I just wanted to see if you were okay!” Ruby stammered.

“I'm fine! Does it look like I'm fine?” Weiss shouted.

“Well, uh –” Ruby started.

“Just leave me alone!” Weiss demanded, hiding her face in her legs, her knees pulled up. She really doesn't want Ruby to see her face.

The silver-eyed girl only stood there, unsure of what to do next.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

“So, Uryuu.” Keigo said with a coy smile. “Gonna tell us what that is all about?” Uryuu didn't answer, opting to just push up his glasses and turn away from the brunette.

“Leave him alone before he'll use you as target practice later, Keigo.” Ichigo ordered. He notices that JNPR and the remainder of RWBY were still standing. “What are you guys waiting for, an invitation? Seat already.” The six first years apply, JNPR seating on one couch and Blake and Yang in another.

“Sooo, what do we do first?” Yang asked.

“Order something to eat.” Rukia suggested, returning to the table after getting up to retrieve menus. “I'm sure you guys are starving after the day you had yesterday.”

*GROOOOWL* Everyone looks at one Nora Valkyrie. She patted her belly. “Weeell, if you say so~” She reaches for a menu to see what is available.

“No brewed coffee, Nora.” Ren reminded her. The green ninja was worried that just the smell of that would give Nora an unneeded, and very much unwanted, caffeine high.

“I know, I know.” Nora said.

“Is it...all right to order what we want?” Pyrrha asked.

“Oh yeah. Go ahead.” Tatsuki insisted.

“Really? Is that okay?” Pyrrha asked.

“Nah, it's fine.” Mizuiro said. “Keigo's buying.”

Keigo nearly choked on his own saliva. “What?! Why me?!” He sputtered.

Pyrrha still looked unsure. “...If you insist...”

“Oh, Nikos-san! If you want, you can try the curry frappuccino. It's amazing!” Orihime offered. “I'm thinking about ordering it myself.”

“Umm, curry...frappuccino?” Pyrrha wondered. She looks back on the menu. “What's that?”

“It's right here, under 'specials'. One time, I brought a bottle of curry sauce to add into my caramel frappuccino and it was delicious. The shop's owner even tried it and liked it too, so he add it on the menu!” Pyrrha was perturbed at the idea, as were the others. Except for Ren, who seems interested.

“I see...” Pyrrha said, sheepishly. “...I think I'll pass. Maybe later?”

“Okay!” Soon, everyone decided on what they wanted and Rukia wrote them down in her sketchbook. Ichigo took a glance at it to see that Rukia had drawn bunny versions of everyone else corresponding with their order. He rolled his eyes. It was at this time Ruby and Weiss returns from the restroom.

“Hey, guys. We're back!” Ruby said, trying to look cheerful. The girl was unsuccessful of trying to cheer up the Ice Queen. All she could do was wait for the heiress to be ready to come back.

“Welcome back. And for passing the initiation, little sister, I ordered something special for ya.” Yang said as her sister and Weiss sat down next to Yang and Blake.

“Oooh, ooh, what is it?” Ruby asked.

“A glass of whole milk and chocolate chip cookies with a side of strawberries.” Yang said. Ichigo made a face at that, which Tatsuki caught.

“Really?! Thanks, sis!!” Ruby said with glee. Weiss looks at her partner quizzically.

“What about you, Weiss?” Yang asked, handing her the menu.

“Um, I'll...have a glass of iced coffee and apple cinnamon muffins, please.” Weiss ordered, trying not to make eye contact with the Quincy. Rukia writes it down before tearing the paper neatly off the notebook. Silently, Uryuu takes it before Rukia did anything else and gets up and towards the counter. Ichigo and Rukia look at each other in wonder about the paler one. Weiss looks down on her lap.

“I-I'll go with him in case he needs help. That's gonna be a lot of food.” Orihime volunteered, smoothing out her skirt before going.

“Then I'll help as well.” Pyrrha said, getting up from her seat and followed the gray-eyed girl.

Another awkward silence fell, but Tatsuki eyed her old friend. Ichigo sees this, knowing exactly what's going through her mind. “Don't even think about it.”

“What ever do you mean?” Tatsuki asked, feigning innocence.

“Don't play innocent with me.” Ichigo said.

“I'm not doing anything.” Tatsuki smiled knowingly.

Yang looks confused. “What are you gettin' at?”

“Shut it.” Ichigo warned his childhood friend. Tatsuki didn't look the least bit intimidated.

“I'm saying Ichigo has a...thing with strawberries.” Tatsuki said coyly. Ichigo secretly flips her off and Tatsuki stuck her tongue at him.

“Really? Like what?” Ruby asked.

Ichigo looked hesitant to say it, but Ruby and Yang watched him with anticipation. He sighed. “My folks wanted to give me a name that people would look up to in a time of need. My name means 'one who protects.' I was very much inspired by that and wanted to be a hero. When I was older, I started to learn my name's...other meanings.”

“And.....?” Yang urged.

“Along with 'one who protects', there is also 'number one', a pun to the number '15'...” He referenced to the number itself on his shirt. Yang snickered at that. “...and...”

“Annnnd?” The two half-sisters urged more.

“...Strawberry...” Ichigo muttered, his face becoming as red as the fruit. Ruby started to snicker.

“Oh, don't be so embarrassed, Berry Boy. It's cute!” Yang said. Ichigo's face turned redder.

“Off topic...Is it true that you guys killed Grand Fisher?” Blake asked.

Renji scoffed. “Yeah. By the skin of our teeth.”

“Wouldn't such a mission be out of the league of students?” Ren questioned. As he said earlier, Grand Fisher was an Adjuchas-class Grimm, meaning it was highly intelligent and posed more of a threat than the Giant Nevermore and Death Stalker they fought yesterday combined and more. Only highly skilled Huntsmen were able to accept the job.

“You would be right. Hunting down Grand Fisher and killing it was an S-rank mission. The highest rank mission an academy student can go on is an A-rank one. The mission we had at the time was originally a D-rank. We were supposed to eradicate a horde of Grimm suitable for first-years, but due to some...negative consequences, Grand Fisher was drawn out.” Rukia explained.

“To say we've manage come out of it alive would be an understatement. We were nearly at Death's doorstep.” Renji said.

“Still, though. You guys are pretty darn cool.” Yang said. “Your team was the main talk back at Signal during the entirety of last year.”

“Damn, are we really that famous?” Renji questioned, completely stunned at this.

“It shouldn't be that much of a surprise, considering what your team had accomplished in just your second year.” She brings up her right hand as she lists off some of Team IURR's feats. “Stopping a bandit tribe from burning down a village...” If memory serves correctly, the tribe was called the Temple of the Dragon. “Finding a veteran Hunstman who went missing for 20 years...” Ashido was the veteran's name, if Ichigo remembers it right. Rukia probably has his contact information on her Scroll. “Defeating a Harena Gigas...” That was more annoying than hard to beat. Unlike the Arma Gigas and Petra Gigas, which are comprised of solid materials, Harena Gigas' shtick was sand. While technically still solid, sand is easily malleable. Heaven forbid for an Aqua Gigas. “...and helped to resolve the case of the Bount Group.” The atmosphere grew very dark at the last one. The air suddenly felt so thick, Ruby could have sliced it with Crescent Rose. The girl in red looks at her new mentors, noticing some difference in their posture. Renji started to twiddle his thumbs and Rukia was looking her sketchbook while hiding her face. Ichigo was the most tense, Ruby could see him clenching his teeth and fisting up his hands.

Ren seems to have noticed the change as well. He lightly elbowed at Nora's side. The girl takes the hint. “Oh! Wait until I tell you guys how Ren and I stopped an Beowulf from attacking a cottage home!”

“Actually, it was an Ursa and it was sniffing at an outhouse.” Everyone else became enraptured by the tales Nora tells, with Ren correcting her at certain points. Ruby, however, pay no heed and continues to look at her new mentor.

“We're baaack~” Pyrrha sang as she, Orihime, and Uryuu returned with trays of their drinks and food. They start to pass around the items to the respective person, courtesy Orihime, since she is the only one to understand Rukia's drawings.

As soon as he sat down, Uryuu noticed Ichigo's fist clenching almost to the point of drawing blood and he could tell that his partner is clenching his teeth from how stiff his jaw looked. He can almost feel Ichigo's resentment. “Did I miss something?” Uryuu asked Rukia. Although, Uryuu has an inkling of what it is.

“I'll tell you later.” She said. Ruby looked on in worry.

“Oh, Ruuubyyy~” Yang sang as she lifted up a plate of cookies and strawberries to Ruby's nose. The smell of sweet chocolate and delicious strawberries drew the silver-eyed girl away from her worries. She takes the plate with glee and a grabs a cookie. She snaps it in two before dipping one half in her glass of milk and eating it.

“Really, Ruby? Cookies and Milk?” Weiss questioned.

Ruby swallows. “What? Milk is good for you! And what's great with milk? Chocolate chip cookies!” Ruby said as ate one. “I mean, look at Uryuu, he's drinking milk too.”

“Actually, it's a latte.” Uryuu corrected, picking up his coffee cup.

“With an ungodly amount of cream in it.” Renji added. Uryuu gives him a pointed look before returning to have a drink. Renji only smiled as he drank his tea.

Over the next several minutes, everyone talking to one another while enjoying their meal. Ren tries his own cup of curry frappeccino and praised it's unique blend of sweetness and spices, much to Orihime's delight and to Nora's disgust. Rukia and Weiss gets into a conversation about Beacon's curriculum, Keigo talks to Jaune about some rpg, and Tatsuki and Pyrrha talk about the Mistral Regional Tournament. Eventually, Pyrrha turns to Ichigo.

“So, what will we be doing after this?” Pyrrha asked.

“After this, we'll be heading to the training grounds so that way we can see what you are all capable of.” Ichigo said. At this point, his nerves have relaxed after escaping the subject Blake brought up.

“What? Shouldn't we relax first? I mean, we had the initiation yesterday.” Weiss pointed out.

“Yes. I am aware of that. But, do you think the enemy would care if you're ready or not?” Ichigo questioned. RWBY and JNPR looked at each other silently, unable to answer the question. But, what Ichigo said is true. Out there in the real world, there are no chances.

“And, besides, _we_ haven't seen what you guys can do.” Tatsuki said, laying her eyes on a certain blonde boy. There's only so much a few videos can show.

“When you guys are finished, we'll get going.” Ichigo said.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

After paying the bill (courtesy of Keigo, to his chagrin), the group exited the coffee shop. As she stepped out, Yang notices something near a trashcan a few feet away. She walks over to it, seeing a cute little lion plushie. “Awww. Now who threw out this little guy?” she wondered as picked up the plush. She examined the toy, taking note of a blue cross behind it's head. It looks to be in good condition. “Aren't you just a little cutie.”

“Yang! Put him down!” Ichigo demanded urgently. This made the first-years look at him quizzically. Him?

“Why? What's wrong?” Yang asked, completely baffled, holding the plush close to her ample chest..

“Just do it. It's for your own good.” Ichigo urged cryptically. At this point, the others were looking at the bombastic blonde's direction with perturbed expressions.

“What is it?” Yang asked.

“Yang, do this.” Blake instructed, holding out her arms.

The human firecracker rolled her eyes with a snicker. “Okay?” she wondered, doing as she was told. That's when she realized a pressure on her breasts. She looks down to see the _plush toy hugging her boobs_.

“Oh...so firm and plump...truly they are marshmallows from Heaven.” it _muttered_ with joy. Yang eyes widen before they turned from lilac to red in the blink of an eye and punched the plush away. It slammed into a concrete wall before falling to the ground, leaving a imprint.

“What is that thing?” Nora asked.

“That is Kon.” Rukia said. “He is a Modified Opposition Detector, or MOD for short.”

“Opposition?” Blake questioned.

“Like any sort of hostilities, mostly Grimm.” Renji explained.

“That's right!” Kon exclaimed, apparently after the punch and pointing a plushie claw at Ichigo. “And you should treat me with respect!”

“Can it, you perverted fuzzball!” Ichigo shouted.

“So, is it like an A.I.?” Ruby asked, eyeing the plush.

“Pretty much.” Tatsuki answered, clearly having a disdain for the lion plushie.

“Where did you get it?” Weiss asked. Ruby and Jaune were busy watching a walking and talking plush doll in awe.

“A candy shop owner.” Rukia answered.

“...Seriously?” Blake questioned.

“Tell me about it...” Uryuu muttered.

“I'm sorry, but why would you need something like that?” Pyrrha wondered. “I mean, even in-training Huntsmen and Huntresses have the ability to sense even the presence of Grimm.”

“Well, he's not for us specifically...” Renji revealed, looking straight at Ichigo, who is stretching Kon mercilessly.

“Kurosaki isn't known for his sensing capabilities.” Uryuu says pushing up his glasses, earning a glare from Ichigo. “So, Kon was given to him as compensation. Unfortunately, he has one...defect.”

“Defect?” Ren questioned.

“He's into girls with big...you know.” Renji said sheepishly.

“Oh...” Pyrrha said, she nervously crosses her arms over her chest.

“So what? What's wrong with appreciating a woman's physique?” Kon defended. His plushy face then turned an amorous red. “Especially when they get all sweaty and those pair of heaven's headlights start to glisten in the SU-! My stuffing! My stuffings!”

“Will you shut it already?!” Ichigo demands, squeezing the plush.

“He's pretty much a toy version of Mr. Asano here.” Mizuiro said.

“Don't say that, Mizuiro!” Keigo chastised. “And what's up with the honorific?”

Mizuiro turned to his hyper friend. “Oh, so you weren't staring at Yang's chest the whole time we were in the shop?” Upon hearing this, Yang turned her fiery gaze at the brunette.

“N-now wait a minute. Let's not be hasty here.” The poor boy said nervously.

Ichigo places a hand on Yang's shoulder, his other hand currently holding Kon by the head. “Save that energy for the training.” He looks over the rest. “Go back to your dorms and put on your gear. Meet back at the training grounds in 15 minutes. Let's go.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment!! <3
> 
> ….................
> 
> Next Chapter: First Impressions (March 2)


	12. Chapter 11: First Impressions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo while RWBY belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth

"Please, Ichigo... Please let me go with you guys to the training grounds!" Kon begged as Ichigo rummaged through his locker for his combat gear. "I was so bored today! You wouldn't let me go with you to that coffee shop, so I had to sneak out! You wouldn't believe what I had to go through! So please, please let me come with you guys! Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease-!"

"Agh! Fine. You can come over." Ichigo reluctantly agreed, fed up with the whining. "But, if you do anything perverted like you did to Blondie earlier, I'll duct tape you to the back of a toilet in the mens' room and leave you there for the rest of the week. Crystal?"

"Sir, yes sir!" Kon said with a salute before scurrying over to a bench to sit.

"Ichigo, you don't really have to give in to his demands." Rukia pointed out.

"I'd rather have him stay close than to wonder off and get into trouble." Ichigo said, checking Tensa's ammunition.

"Come on, Uryuu. Aren't you gonna tell us how you know the heiress to the SDC?" Keigo asked desperately as he follows the Quincy to his locker. "Was she a friend of yours or something? No, wait, fiancee? Ex-Girlfriend? Lover-OW!" Keigo shut up when Uryuu swung his locker door open hard enough to hit the skater in the face.

"Whoops." Uryuu said, not really caring, as he gathered his things and closes his locker and walked off to change.

"Should of seen that coming..." He said nasally, holding his bruised nose before going to his own locker.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

The training grounds were not far from the dormitories, so the freshman teams had no difficulty finding it and made it in time after getting their gear, their assigned mentors (and Kon) waiting for them. "I see that everyone is here. Are you guys ready?" Tatsuki asked.

Yang pumped her fists together. "Oh, hell yeah!"

"Locked and loaded!" Nora shouts. "Right, Jaune?" She give the boy a playful, but hard, punch on his shoulder. He stumbled a little before getting back his balance.

"Uh, y-yeah. Let's do this! Ha-ha, ha..."

"Before we begin, does anyone have any questions?" Ichigo asked. Ruby wasted no time to raise her hand, waving it with much excitement. "Yes..." Ichigo looks around, pretending the others were raising hands too, before returning to the youngest member. "...Ruby."

"What's the name of your sword?" She asked, pointing at Ichigo's blade wrapped in its dark amber cloth.

"My sword?"

"Yeah!" Ruby exclaimed. "What's it's name? What's it classification? What's it made of? What's its second form? Does it have a second form?" She could of continued if Yang hadn't stopped her by pulling her hood over her head and covering her face.

"Down, Ruby." Yang demand jokingly. "Sorry about that. She's a bit of a weapons fanatic."

"A bit?" Renji questioned.

"Nah, it's fine." Ichigo said with a wave a hand and a smile. "And to answer your questions: It's name is Zangetsu..." He moves his coat to reveal his smaller blade. "...And this is Tensa. Together, they are Dual Action Chain Swords. They are made of black steel. Very useful against Grimm with corrosive abilities." Jaune's face turned green at the thought of corrosive Grimm. "As for their other forms, Tensa can turn into a pistol and Zangetsu can turn into a katana."

"Really?  _That_  big thing?" Yang asked.

Ichigo let out a laugh. "Oh, believe it. I know someone who's main weapon is a handbag that becomes a gatling gun."

"Oooooooh..." Ruby says in awe, her eyes shining like stars.

Tatsuki starts to chuckle. "Okay. Anymore questions? No? Then Team JNPR, follow me and my team to the other side so we can start. You girls have fun with IURR!"

"Good luck, Jaune!" Ruby cheered. Jaune gives her a meek thumbs up.

"Okay," Ichigo started as soon as TAIM and JNPR were far enough away. ", here's what we're gonna do: Each of you is gonna face one of us in a one-on-one fight. Feel free to use your Semblance and weapon. First up, Yang Xiao Long."

"Booya!" Yang declares, pumping her fist up, obviously excited. "Ready to go toe-to-toe , Berry-Boy?"

"Actually, that honor is gonna go to Ishida here." Ichigo stated, gesturing to his partner, who remained standing by his side with his arms crossed. The Quincy looks at Ichigo silently before closing his eyes.

"If I must." He said simply. He uncrosses his arms and started walking towards a spot on the training ground. Yang follow suit, not before giving her sister a mock salute.

Ichigo turns to Blake. "As for you. You're going up against Renji."

"'Sup." Renji greeted.

"Hey." Blake greeted back. The two walked silently to their own spot some ways away from Yang and Uryuu. The two then faced each other and readied their weapons. "So, how do you want to do this?"

"I guess until I've seen enough."

Blake nodded at that before dashing forward, her Gambol Shroud at the ready. Renji pulls back his own sword before swinging it forward as it extends. Before the blade it, Blake left behind one of her Shadows as leaps into the air. In midair, she makes shots at the redhead, who blocks it with his shield. Blake lands back gracefully on the other side of Renji. He smirks. This is gonna be fun.

Meanwhile...

"So, Angelface. Wanna make this a bit more interesting?" Yang proposed.

Uryuu raised a brow. "How so?"

"You know, make bets?"

"I'd rather not."

Yang shrugged. "Oh, well." She cocks her gauntlets ready and resumes into a stance, as did Uryuu except, "Aren't you gonna use your weapon?"

"I don't need it right now." was Uryuu simple answer. Yang shrugs again.

"Your loss." The battle commences as the two start to circle around, finding any openings to attack. Yang seems to think she found it and charges forward. What happened next felt like a split second. As Yang go in to uppercut, Uryuu swiftly ducks and does a low reverse roundhouse kick at Yang's legs, causing her to fall on her rear. It took a moment for Yang to process what just happened because of how quick it was. She quickly got up to her feet, ready for another round. She charges again, letting out a shout. She goes to punch him in the face, but Uryuu able to block it with his gloved hand and swiped at her legs, sending her to the ground again. Yang punched the ground, frustrated.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"How does Yang know Uryuu?" Weiss asked.

"He was our neighbor for a few years up until he attended Beacon." Ruby revealed.

"So, you know him too?" Weiss questioned.

"Not really. He was kinda standoffish when I first met him and-wait a minute. Why are you asking me? How do  _you_  know him?" Given how Weiss was acting earlier, it was very clear that the heiress had some kind of connection with the Quincy male.

Weiss crossed her arms. "That's none of your concern."

"Well that hardly seems fair." Ichigo pointed out.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Weiss asked.

"Look at you. Here you are interrogating Ruby, your  _leader_ , about how she knows Ishida and when she turned the question on to you, her  _teammate_ , you refuse to comply. I don't see that as being fair."

"This has nothing to do with you."

"Considering my team and I are in charge of Team  _RWBY_ , yeah it kinda does."

Rukia places a hand on her leader's shoulder. "Ichigo, take it easy..." she says, trying to calm him down.

"Weiss, let's just take a deep breath and-" Ruby tried to calm down Weiss as well.

"You stay out of this!" Weiss ordered before she stumped off. Ruby moved to go after her, but stopped, unsure of how much help she could be.

"I'll go talk to her." Rukia told Ichigo before going to find the heiress.

"As for you." Ichigo started, his attention at Ruby now, but his tone was less harsh. "You need to be a little more assertive."

"Assertive?" Ruby repeated.

"He's right." Blake said as she and Renji returned, demeaning their battle over when Renji manage to have the tip of Zabimaru half an inch near Blake's neck. Renji saw it for a split second, unbridled terror in her eyes. But it was not towards him or his sword. "As a leader, you need to be strong in mind and committed. Like what you did back in the Emerald Forest." She remembers how Yang looked at her younger sister with admiration when Ruby led the group. She does have the makings of a leader. She just needs to grasp it better.

"You'd also need to be resilient. From the look of things, she'll be having that attitude for awhile. Trust me, I'd know." Ichigo said. Ruby looked unsure, but nodded. He then felt someone staring at him. He looks back to see Renji giving him a weird look. "What?"

"Nothing. Just weird to hear you talk like that or something." Renji admitted.

"Fuck you." Ichigo said.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"I don't think all of that was really necessary." Rukia said after she had found the heiress some ways away behind a tree.

Weiss wanted to say the same thing she said to Ruby, but remembered Rukia's status and bit the inside of her check to stop herself. "I-I'm sorry."

"It...shouldn't be me as the target for your apology." Rukia points out. And Weiss knew who she was talking about. Ruby Rose. Yes, she did well near the end of the initiation, but look what happened this morning. It was like nothing had changed with her.

"How is someone like her given the position anyway?" Weiss questioned.

Rukia softly chuckled. "To tell you the truth, I had thought that too about Ichigo, but he managed to pull through. Just give Ruby a chance."

"Rukia, did you...did you know about Uryuu and me?" Weiss asked.

"In all honesty, it was only recently that I learned that he had a history with you." Rukia revealed.

"Recently?" Weiss questioned.

"It was during your concert before you came here. None of us knew until then." Rukia said. "We had a mission in the outskirts of Atlas and we figured we'd go to it before we had to leave." Rukia's lips lifted into a soft smile. "I've never seen Uryuu so excited before. I had to pry the information out of him. During the after-party, I saw you with your father and brother and told Uryuu to go see you. He looked happy at first, but..." Her smile dropped sadly. "He didn't say anything. He just turned around to the exit." She makes eye contact with Weiss. "I'm not sure what was going through his head at the time, I didn't press him about it. When it comes to deeper matters, he's pretty tight-lipped. I think it be best for you to ask him yourself." A silence fell between the two. "Come on, the others are waiting for us."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Ichigo sat on his heels as he (along with Ruby, Blake, and Renji) watch Uryuu to continuously drop Yang to her butt for the umpteenth time. It was kind of amusing at actually as it reminded Ichigo of his first year training with Rukia in the way of  _proper_  kenjustu and beating his butt in the process until he got better. Just like him at the time, there is room for improvement. Yang's major weakness are opponents with kick-based techniques, which is why he pinned her up against Ishida in the first place. He kind of likes Yang. She reminds him of Tatsuki, if not a little more hot-blooded like himself. Blake is a welcoming silence, reading her book and speaking when spoken too. He does have a question about her though: Why is she covering her Faunus ears with her bow? He saw the bow twitch every now and again and he knew it wasn't the wind. If Blake Belladonna is trying fool people that she's Human, then she's doing a terrible job. Whatever, he'll humor her for now.

Tatsuki wasn't joking when she said Ruby reminded her of Ichigo back when they were kids. She is idealistic, sweet, and thoughtful. Of course, there is nothing wrong with being any of those things, it's just...They live in a cruel, unforgiving world where there is danger around every corner. Ichigo very much hopes that Ruby would learn this in time. Hopefully in more safer way. Then, there is Weiss Schnee. Just from watching her skills on the initiation vids, he could see she has potential. The only problem she has is that holier than thou attitude she's rocking.

She very much reminds Ichigo of someone he knows well. A certain partner of his.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Ruby sat the ground, picking at the grass as she went through her thoughts. The initial excitement of not only attending one of Remnant's most incredible Huntsman Academies, but also being appointed as team leader, has died down considerably. Special thanks to a certain heiress. The only ones okay with her being the leader is Yang (that's a given) and Blake.

She hadn't really knew Uryuu well. She remembers back when he have first arrived in Patch four years ago in a small house not too far from the Xiao Long-Rose residence. After he finished moving in, the family of three (plus one Zwei), went over to visit. While Uryuu was being curteous to them, he kept his distance. Even when Taiyang, Yang and Ruby's father, tried to be friends with him, he never truly opened up. Seeing Uryuu now and more close up, he doesn't seem all that different at first glance. He didn't seem...tense this time. He's more mellow and relaxed compared to before.

She had vague memories of hearing the name Kuchiki, but Rukia seemed nice enough. Much nicer than Weiss. She hadn't seen much of Renji yet, but he seems pretty cool. Especially with his awesome sword/shield combo that puts Jaune's to shame...She's going to have to apologize to Jaune for that.

Ichigo was an interesting one. He seems really laidback and that near-permanent scowl failed to hide a good heart, given how he freely explained the inner workings of his weapons with no trace of annoyance. While a little harsh, his words from earlier were true. Despite still being one year away from graduating Beacon, he already has the commitment of a true Huntsman. She could see in his eyes. In fact, all of Team IURR seems to possess those eyes.

They were eyes of people who have experience many, many things. Many great and many awful things. Thinking about that reminded Ruby of the mention of the Bount Case.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Yang flopped heavily onto the ground again, yet another failed attempt to get a good hit on the Quincy. Uryuu looms over the blonde as he offered her his hand. "Finished?" he asked. Yang accepts the assist and gets up.

"For now." Yang said as dust herself off.

Rukia and Weiss had just came back after their talk when Ichigo decided to call it quits. "I think that would be enough for today. We'll continue where we left off tomorrow after school hours."

"Hey, Ichigo?" Ruby asked. "Where's Kon?"

"Kon? He's right-?" Ichigo looks to where the plush should be, only to see that he wasn't there. He pans around to find him with no luck. He had disappeared. "Godammit!"

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

With the use of her Semblance, Glynda Goodwitch repairs the damaged left by the training sessions that occurred. More damage than usual at this time of year. Perhaps it's due to the newest addition to the school's system. There are times when the stoic professor thinks that her flippant superior do these sort of things just to get under her skin. But, somebody has to do it.

Unbeknownst to her, she is being watched.

Not too far from the Combat instructor, a certain lion plushie within some bushes behind the professor. He had watched her repair the damages left by the students for about 10 minutes now. And they were glorious! Sneaking away from Ichigo as he lectured team RWBY was a damn good idea despite repercussions for it. The way Goodwitch commands the debri to their respective locations. The way her slender body sway with every swing of her riding crop. The way the Sun causes her sweat to glisten on her face, neck, and...cleavage...

…

…

…

…

Repercussions. Be. DAMNED. Kon leaps out of the bushes like a madman, his face red and steam practically coming out of his nostrils, and fly towards the blonde woman.

Without even looking, Goodwitch pointed her riding crop towards the amorous plush, using her telekinesis to stop him in midair. Kon started sweat nervously, unsure of what the woman is gonna do next. The toy flinched with piercing green eyes behind a pair of glasses gives him a sideways glance. With no words and a flick of her wrist, she send the plush doll flying to the air, Kon screaming in distance. Goodwitch merely pushed up her glasses with a hmph before returning to her repairing duty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: New School, New Problems (March 9)


	13. Chapter 12: New School, New Problems

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo while RWBY belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth

*FWEEEEEEE* a familiar, and hated, sound woke up Weiss and caused her to fall off the bed. Again.

"Gooood Mooorning, Teeeam RWWWWBYYYYY!" Ruby shouts. She now wearing her uniform, in addition with her ever present red hood.

"What is wrong with you?!" Weiss asked.

"Come on, Weiss!" Ruby said, picking the girl up, much to her annoyance. "Get up and get ready for our first day in school!"

"Yeah, yeah. Now get out so I can change." Weiss demands. Ruby's smile faltered a little, but remembers what Blake and Ichigo said yesterday.

She clears her throat. "Okay, Weiss. I will be waiting in the lounge. Don't take too long!" She then goes to leave.

Weiss rolls her eyes. "Whatever." She thinks back about Rukia telling her to give Ruby a chance. Well, today is a new day. Maybe Ruby will finally take her role seriously. Though...the crude waking call is very close to raising red flags. After getting dressed in her Beacon uniform and making sure everything is perfect, Weiss emerges from the room to see the rest of RWBY and JNPR in the living room area waiting for her.

"Good morning, Ice Queen!" Yang greets. Weiss glares at her. "Jeez, tough room."

"So...what now?" Jaune asked.

"I've managed to get a handbook about the academy. It said that our class schedule are arranged according to which building we're in, 'A' or 'B'. I think our first class is history, since we're put in the 'A' building. I think it starts at nine o' clock." Ruby said, looking at her Scroll for the schedule.

"What?! Nine?!" Weiss shouts. She looks at the clock in the living room area. "It's 8:55! We need to go! NOW!"

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

It was 8:57 when the two teams barged into the room, all severely out of breath. Yang stumbles over to where someone sat at the front of the classroom. "Hey..." Yang wheezed. "What'dwe miss?"

"Fortunately for you, nothing." Bartholomew Oobleck answered, appearing behind RWBY and JNPR. The eight soon-to-be Huntresses/Huntsmen jumped back, startled at the sudden entrance. The green-haired man pushed up his glasses. "Good morning, my name is Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck and I will be your history instructor. Now, I'd advise you to go take your seats as class would be starting right about-" *BEEP**BEEP*. "-now. Move along, then." He zips around to his desk as the students took their seats.

"Why didn't wake up me up earlier?" Weiss seethed quietly to Ruby through gritted teeth.

"I did, but you kept mumbling something in your sleep." Ruby defended herself.

"Well...you should have tried harder."

"I  _did_ , but you pushed me away."

"She's right you know." Yang said. "You were like a rock." Weiss scoffs.

The rest of the class went uneventful as Oobleck only had them do refresher stuff, but told them that tomorrow is were they'll really start.

 

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Their second class is the Dust Arts and Ruby have never felt so confused like this before. The professor, Selena O'Hare, was a nice woman, greeting the students with content when they entered the lecture hall. She didn't make them do much, like Oobleck, but as a starter, she wanted the students to make a configuration chart of the four basic Dusts. Through this, Ruby quickly discovered the downside of skipping two years.

She was aware of such a class back in Signal during Yang's (and Ruby's) last year there. Obviously, Ruby never had a chance to be in it. She wanted to ask Weiss for help. After all, she is the heiress of a  _Dust_  Company. But, Weiss refused to help, even after Ruby explained why. Much to their shock, Prof. O'Hare was able to hear the whispered argument and had Weiss to help Ruby, aware of the latter's situation. Both girls were dumbfound. How was the white-haired woman able to hear them? They were all the way in the back.

Imagine everyone's surprise when they learned that the two, long, white ponytails Prof. O'Hare has are actually long rabbit ears.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"As for today, we will have practice duels." Glynda Goodwitch said, her riding crop in hand. "One pair from each team will be fighting another pair from a different team. For the first match we'll have Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren vs Ruby Rose and Weiss Schnee."

The four walk down to the arena, the pairs on opposite sides. "Be sure to maintain proper form, Ruby." Weiss coldly advised

"Um, okay?" Ruby said, not sure what that means.

"Hi, Ruby!" Nora shouts, waving her hand.

"Hey, Nora!"

"Ready to have some fun?" Nora asked loudly.

"You bet I am!"

"Ruby! Focus!" Weiss shouts.

"Are the combatants ready?" Goodwitch asked. "We will begin in 3...2...1." Not even a second later, Nora appears above Ruby and Weiss, her hammer in hand. They could have sworn they see a crazed look in her eye.

"IT'S HAMMER TIME~!" Nora shouted with glee. She slams Magnhild down on the ground causing a shockwave to push Weiss and Ruby back. Weiss uses one of her Glyphs to steady herself while Ruby uses Crescent Rose to stop herself.

"So cool!" Ruby said, starry-eyed.

"Ruby!" Weiss exclaimed.

"Weiss! I got an idea! If we can-" Ruby started.

"I got this, Ruby." Weiss said, refusing to comply to the childish girl.

"But-" Ruby tried to talk to her, but was unable as she sees Ren ninja-run at her. Thinking quickly, she starts shooting Ren while her weapon is still in scythe form. Ren was able to dodge each shot and brandishes his dual StormFlower from his sleeves.

" **Lotus Cyclone**!" He exclaimed as he spins diagonally at Ruby.

"Uh, oh!" She quickly recalls Crescent Rose and morphed it into sniper mode and uses it to shield herself. After the attack was done, Ren leaps off of Crescent Rose, causing Ruby to stumble back a bit. She managed to regain her footing. "Wow, that was awesome!"

"Yeah...it was..." Jaune muttered from the stands. He thinks back to him and his team's session with Team TAIM. Jaune was an absolute mess and wasn't able to withstand even Tatsuki's lightest punches. His teammates on the other hand were far more better. Pyrrha was doing well going up against the skater guy (Keigo), Nora was having a blast fighting against Tatsuki after she was done with the blonde boy, and, despite not doing well near the end of the initiation, Ren was doing phenomenal against Orihime. He was even able to crack and nearly break her Protection Shield, which, according to Tatsuki, is no easy fit.

"That was incredible! You were all fwoosh and then you were all sheensheensheen! And your guns! Are they modeled after SMGs? Are the blades Wind and Fire ones? How are you able to store them in your sleeves?" Ruby bombarded the green ninja, though he wasn't bothered by it due to his affiliation with Nora. Initially confused, but Ren could tell the girl's excitement is genuine. Reminds him of Nora. The slender shinobi only smiled.

"Ruby, will you  _please_  pay attention!" Weiss stressed. She was almost not quick enough when Nora attacks her from above, shielding herself with a Glyph.

"You should take your own advice!" Nora said. She presses the trigger of Magnhild, launching herself off the Glyph, shattering it in the process and knocking Weiss down. The heiress scurried to her feet just as Nora landed back on the ground. The ginger smirked playfully. Weiss quickly summons a Glyph as she turned the revolver of Myrtenaster to pale blue Dust. Emerging from the Glyph is a spear of lightning, charged and ready. Weiss releases it and in great speeds, it hurdled towards the girl in pink. Nora didn't dodge and got hit by it, knocking her to the ground.

"Hmph." Weiss huffed. One down, one to go. Thinking she has defeated Nora, she turns to Ren, who didn't look worried that his partner was taken down. Why?

"Weiss! Look!" Ruby shouted.

"What is it now Ru-?" Weiss asked, but stopped. To her surprise, Nora was getting up.

Nora stood back to her feet, pink lightning crackling around her. "Nice try!" She zips up to Weiss and hits her with Magnhild, sending her flying. Quickly, Weiss summons a few black Glyphs to slow her down and she lands back on her feet. She still didn't have time as Nora turns her hammer into it grenade launcher form. "Love Launcher~!" She fired grenades in the shape of a heart and they hit their mark.

"Weiss!" Ruby called out. She was about to run to the heiress' aid, but Ren appears before her.

"You need to pay more attention to your surroundings in case of more adversaries." Ren advised before he dashes around her while hitting her with palm strikes. " **Warp Strike**!" The last palm strike sends Ruby into Weiss, who was getting up. They both fall to the ground.

An alarm bellows as Glynda Goodwitch returns to the arena. "Both Ruby Rose and Weiss Schnee are unable to continue. The winners of this duel are Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren." Glynda announced. The students at the stands applaud.

"Hoorah! Score 1 for team sloth!" Nora cheered, wrapping her arms around Ren's shoulders.

"Woo..." Ren said deadpanned.

"Ruby, get off of me!" Weiss demanded, pushing Ruby off her person. She gets up and dusts herself off before walking away.

"Weiss!" Ruby called out, it falling on deaf ears. Yang and Blake look at eachother in worry.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Time went and lunch came around."Okay, the food here is waaaaay better than Signal's." Yang said before stuffing a spoonful of chicken rice. RWBY and JNPR are in the lunch hall.

"I guess..." Nora said. "But nothing compares to Ren's cooking." Ren lightly blushes at the comment.

"...I'm not that good." He said, softly.

"Oh, don't be so modest!" Nora said, lightly smacks his shoulder. "You guys need to try his miso soup. It's to die for!" As Nora begins to tell them of all the meals Ren could cook, an awkward silence fell between Ruby and Weiss. Ruby picked at her food, having to have lost some of her valor over the course of the three classes. Weiss just looks displeased, staring at her meal.

"So, how did everything go with your mentors?" Blake asked.

"It was splendid." Pyrrha said. "I was so excited to know that Tatsuki Arisawa is the leader of TAIM. It was such an honor."

"Why does that name sound familiar?" Weiss asked.

"It may be because she was the champion of the Mistral Regional Tournament." Pyrrha reveals.

"What? I thought you were the champion of the MRT." Jaune said. The Mistral Regional Tournament is a little similar to the Vytal Tournament, the differences being it is annual and that Mistralian combat school students attend them instead of Huntsmen academy students. Sanctum and Shino'o are just two of those combat schools.

"Yes, I was. However, before I had attended Sanctum, Tatsuki was the previous champion." Pyrrha said. "It was an amazing honor to be put underneath her wing." She remembered watching the MRT on television after coming home from school and how Tatsuki managed to take on another girl named Ururu. Pyrrha was disheartened that Tatsuki didn't attend the MRT during her last two years before going to Beacon, but she figured she had other things to worry about.

"What about you, Jaune?" Ruby asked, after being quiet for awhile. "How did it go for you?"

"Wha-? Uh, it went great. Perfect even. I think that I've impressed Tatsuki with my skills." Jaune bragged, eyeing at Weiss. She rolled her eyes as Ruby snickered. She stopped when Weiss glared at her.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Yeah, Jaune faked his way in." Tatsuki stated. She, her team, and IURR are in one of Beacon's pavilions for lunch.

"What? What makes you say that?" Rukia asked.

"Come on, Rukia." Ichigo said. "It should've been obvious to you."

"He tripped and fumbled with his weapon, his attacking attempts are laughable, and he stumbles back with the slightest strikes. Hell, he hadn't even got his Aura unlocked up until the initiation." Tatsuki said.

"Really? Then, why the hell is he here?" Renji questioned. "I mean, if an academy student was able to see through, then the teachers would probably know too. Hell, even the headmaster!"

"Perhaps Prof. Ozpin sees potential in Mr. Arc, like with Ms. Rose." Uryuu surmised.

"You might be right. He has amazing leadership skills, that I can admit, but he lacks the fighting skills to back it up." Tatsuki said. "For now, let's just go a long with it."

Ichigo sighed. It was almost a reverse of Ruby's problem. "We've got our work cut out from us."

"What about you guys?" Mizuiro asks.

"We've started off with Yang and Blake first. Just to see what we can expect."

"What about the other fight?"

"What are you talking about? What other fi-? Oh." Ichigo gives an exasperated sigh. "Yeah. Yeah, I know."

"What was all that about anyways?" Renji asked.

"The heiress was basically interrogating Ruby about how she knows 'Angelface' here." Ichigo explained, thumbing at Uryuu.

"Don't call me that."

"Interrogating? Seriously, dude. What the hell? Aren't you gonna tell us how you know the white chick?" Keigo asked as the Quincy.

"That depends. You want to get shot?" Uryuu strikes back, glaring dangerously.

"Shutting up." Keigo said, zipping his lips.

"Smart boy." Uryuu said. He sighed a little. "Look, I just...don't want to talk about it. It was involved in a...seven-year issue." An issue everyone sitting at their table is acquainted with.

"If Ishida-kun doesn't want to talk about Schnee-san, than don't force him to." Orihime advised like a mother scolding her children. Uryuu smiles in gratitude.

"She's right." Ichigo said. He places a hand on his partner's shoulder. "And besides, it's best to focus on the matter at hand."

"Yeah. Sorry man for pressuring you like that." Keigo apologized.

"It's fine." Uryuu says. "Just think carefully next time. You know the old saying: curiosity killed the cat."

"Then I must be one lucky son of a bitch, aren't I?" Keigo said. Uryuu actually snorted at that, trying to conceal a laugh. Everyone else started to laugh as the bell rang and they venture off to their next class. As they leave, Ichigo took special notice a pair of flowers in a pot full of multi-colored plants. The pair that caught his eye are red and white in color.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Tensions Rising (March 16)


	14. Chapter 13: Rising Tensions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo while RWBY belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth

Environment Survival was their next class and very important for first-years, as Sargent Smith Rangers would tell them, all the while covering Jaune's face with spit as the man spoke. Their 5th class is Science and Professor Mellea Peach was a delight. The woman took a lot of edge off of everyone due to her bubbly personality, especially Ruby and Weiss.

Eventually, they make it to their final class of the day: Grimm Studies.

"Monsters, demons, prowlers of the night." Professor Peter Port listed off. "Yes, the Creatures of Grimm has many names, but I merely refer to them as pray. Ha-ha!" Silence from the students, maybe a cough. "Uhhhh... And you shall too, upon graduating from this prestigious academy! Our planet is absolutely teeming with creatures that would love nothing more than to tear you to pieces! And that's where we come in. Huntsmen! Huntresses... That is what you are training to become. But first: A story. A tale of a young, handsome man... Me! When I was a boy..."

 _What does this have to do with hunting Grimm?_  Ruby couldn't help but think, as she doodles on a piece of paper. She looks over at Weiss, who is actually writing everything the man is saying.  _Everything_. Even the part about Port's cabbage-smelling grandpa! While Ruby isn't all that into studying, she can't help but think that maybe it's a bit overkill. She looks at Weiss'. She still looks a little miffed. Ruby sighs quietly to herself, resting her head in her arms. She tried. She really tried. But Weiss just wouldn't comply. What is her problem with Ruby?

Ruby closes her eyes, still listening to Prof. Port's babbling.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

_Really? She's going to fall asleep in the middle of class?!_ , Weiss seethed, the grip on her pen threatening to crack it. What ever happened to that commitment back in the forest?

"...The moral of this story?" Port continues on, oblivious to Weiss' anger. "A true Huntsman must be honorable!" Ruby still acts like a child. "A true Huntsman must be dependable!" Ruby is easily distracted."A true Huntsman must be strategic, well-educated, and wise!" And here she is, sleeping in the middle of class! "So, who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?" And what's with that drawing? Is she seriously mocking their  _teacher_?!

Reaching her limit, Weiss raises her hand. "I do, sir!"

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

One of the benefits of being 3rd years is the shorter school hours. For them, school is over after lunch. Of course, most of those times are dedicated to school missions and/or training. So now, Ichigo, Renji, Tatsuki, Keigo, and Uryuu are in the training gym of their dorm.

Tatsuki and Renji stood on the sidelines, watching Ichigo pummeling a training dummy a little bit too fierce. "Doesn't Ichigo seem a little more agitated than usual?" Renji asked Tatsuki.

"I've known Ichigo for a long time. Even so, I have yet to see the differences between his scowls. To me, he's always agitated."

"You guys know I can hear you, right?" Ichigo asked.

"We weren't whispering." Tatsuki pointed out with a smirk. Ichigo glared daggers at her. He gives the dummy a final punch before turning to leave.

"Where are you going?" Tatsuki asked.

"Got a job to do for Port." Ichigo answered.

Keigo walks pass Ichigo into to the gym after getting some drinks. He plops himself next to Uryuu at the benches.

"Whatcha doing there, Four-Eyes?" Keigo asked, gesturing to the sketchbook with his Misty Dew drink.

"I'm just sketching some Grimm for Prof. Port." Uryuu answered. Keigo looks over at the current sketch. As a 3rd year himself, Keigo had been out and about with his team on missions. As such, he has seen many types of Grimm. However, the one Uryuu is doing last touches on is something Keigo will never want to stumble across. The thing has the body of a large horse, but what makes it even more creepy looking is a humanoid torso stuck to the back with elongated arms and many weapons sticking out of its back.

"The hell is that?" Keigo wondered.

"A Grimm terrorizing some villages in Anima." Uryuu answered.

"Yeesh, at least you guys were able to take down that thing." Keigo said, taking a sip of the soda.

"Actually, we've never came across it." Uryuu revealed. Keigo spits out the drink, Uryuu had to move his sketchbook so it wouldn't get sticky.

"What? Then how do you know what it looks like?"

"Eyewitness accounts from survivors." Uryuu answered. "There are cases where the villagers ask for help in the eradication of the Grimm, but no Huntsman has been able to locate it."

"Despite it's size, it's surprisingly elusive." Renji said. "There are speculation that it has the capacity to change locations in lieu of the threat of capture. It's been out there for at least ten years."

"What's it called?" Keigo asked, visibly unnerved at the thought of coming across such a thing.

Uryuu focuses on the Grimm's humanoid face. "The Nuckelavee."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Ruby had no idea what just happened. She was listening to Port's story when Weiss burst out like that. "Excellent!" Port exclaimed. "Now, go to the lockers and get yourself while I go get your opponent!" Port goes a door in the back of the room and leaves. Weiss moves to go to the main door, but not before giving Ruby a heated glare.

"Seriously, what's up with her?" She heard someone asked.

"Who knows." another student answered.

A girl huffed. "Types like her tend to have a superiority complex and think she's better than anyone else."

"Now, now." Pyrrha said. Ruby then starts to hear the other student talk quietly to each other about the Schnee Family. A lot of negative stuff.

Ruby frowns at all this. At this point, Weiss returns from getting her gear. The back door of the class opens again as Port rolls in a cage with a Grimm inside. To Ruby's surprise, Ichigo is there too, helping. "Thank you for nabbing this one for me, Mr. Kurosaki."

Ichigo rolles his shoulders. "No problem. But, whatever you have mind, you better do it quickly before-" The cage door burst open as a Boarbatusk emerges and immediately charges at Weiss. "Never mind." Weiss uses Myrtenaster to deflect its attack and roll to the side, readying herself for its next move. The Grimm stands a distance away from its enemy, studying her. Weiss is now speeding towards the oncoming Boarbatusk, sticking her blade straight at its skull until they meet and Myrtenaster is trapped in the beast's tusks. Weiss is still hanging on to the hilt, and is tossed around as she struggles to get the rapier back.

Even though Weiss has been mean to her, she is still Ruby's teammate. "You can do it, Weiss!" she cheered.

Weiss turns to glare at Ruby, only for the Boarbatusk to turn its head and rip the sword from her grip. Myrtenaster lands far away from its master, who is knocked back by the creature's tusks. As Weiss tries to get back her rapier, Ruby notices something about the Boarbatusk. While the top is heavily armored, especially with those tusks, the bottom is another story.

"Weiss! It's belly has no armor! Aim there!" Ruby said.

"Stop telling me what to do!" Weiss snaps. Ruby flinches back at the rebuttal, the hurt visible on her face. Ichigo studies the too for a moment.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Bravo! Bra-vo! It appears we are indeed in the presence of a true Huntress-in-training!" Ichigo gives the professor a look. The bell then rang. "I'm afraid that's all the time we have for today. Be sure to cover the assigned readings, and... stay vigilant! Class dismissed!"

Still seething, Weiss walks off. Ruby struggles to keep with her. Seeing them leaving, Ichigo follows.

"Weiss!" Ruby called out. Ichigo stops at the doorway to see what happens.

"What?" Came Weiss' answer. She sure is still sounding like a priss.

"What's wrong with you? Why are you being-?"

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you? You're supposed to be a leader, and all you've been so far is a nuisance!"

"What did I do?"

"That's just it - you've done nothing to earn your position! Back in the forest, you acted like a child, and you've only continued to do so!" Come on, you can't expect someone to change at the drop of a hat.

"Weiss, where is this coming from? What happened to all the talk about 'working together'? I thought you believed in acting as a team." Ichigo could hear the hurt in Ruby's voice.

"Not a team led by  _you_." He heard Weiss saying and his anger grew immensely. "I've studied and trained. And quite frankly, I deserve better. Ozpin made a mistake."

Having to have heard enough, Ichigo approaches them. "You deserve better, huh?" The sound of his voice startled the girls.

"What you want now?" Weiss asked. "This has nothing to do with you."

"Didn't I say before that it does?" Ichigo retorted. "Just because you have one hell of a pedigree doesn't automatically mean that the world revolves around you."

"Excuse me?" Weiss seethed.

"You heard me." Ichigo said, close to seething as well.

Weiss only scoffed before walking away. Ichigo glares at her retreating back. Ruby looks at him with worry before looking back at Weiss.

Not too far behind them is Ozpin.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Weiss is still walking around the halls until she comes across a balcony where Professor Port is watching the sunset over Beacon Academy's rooftops. Surely, an actually Huntsman can see her amazing skills than someone who isn't even a Huntsman yet. "Professor Port!" She called out, approaching him.

He turned to look at her. "Ah, Ms. Schnee! And to what do I owe this fine pleasure?"

"I... I enjoyed your lecture!" Weiss said. It was partly true.

Port gives a hearty laugh. "Of course you did, child; you have the blood of a true Huntress in you."

"You really think so?" Weiss asked.

"Most surely!" He notices a small frown on her face. "Hmm... Something's troubling you. Dear girl, confess to me your strife!" Port declared.

"Well... I-I think I should have been the leader of Team RWBY!" Weiss declared.

Port was silent for a moment until he speaks, "That's preposterous!"

"What?" Weiss said in disbelief. "Why would you say that?"

"Prof. Ozpin chose Ms. Rose to the team leader."

"B-but, she's not compatible enough." She reasoned fruitlessly.

"I've believed in Professor Ozpin for many years, and the man's never once led me astray!"

"So you would just blindly accept his decision even after seeing how exceptional  _I_  am?" Weiss questioned.

"With all due respect, your exceptional skill on the battlefield is matched only by your poor attitude."

"How dare you!" Weiss seethed.

"My point exactly." Port said. "I see a girl before me who has spent her entire life getting exactly what she wanted. "

"But..." Weiss tried to argue more, but anymore words had died in her throat.

"I'll take my leave." Prof. Port said. "Please think about what I've just said, Ms. Schnee. Have a good day." With that being said, he turns to leave, but paused. "Ah, Mr. Ishida." Weiss gasped softly. "I didn't know you were there. How is your day going?" Weiss whips around, seeing that Uryuu is indeed here.

"It went fine, sir." Uryuu said. Weiss couldn't help but just stand there. How long was Uryuu there? How much did he hear?

"Ah, is that the illustrations I've asked for?" Port wondered.

"Yes, it is." Uryuu said. He hands the sketchbook to the teacher. "Here you go."

"Why, thank you!" Port says, graciously taking the book. He looks through the pages, his brows lifting with enthusiasm. "As usual, your artwork is indeed a sight. These would look great for the next textbook."

"...They're not that good."

"Nonsense. You are too modest." His mustache twitches in thought. "Hmmm, if memory serves right... Your team is assigned to RWBY for the program, correct?"

"Yes, sir." Uryuu clarified. "We are planning to have another training session today."

"Then I'm sure you wouldn't mind accompanying Ms. Schnee on your way." Uryuu's eyes widen slightly at the mention of Weiss, his gaze finally meeting hers. "Well, I've wasted enough of your time. I must be going. Have a good day to you both!" With that, the portly man has officially left, leaving Uryuu and Weiss in a bit of a pickle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Red and White


	15. Chapter 14: Red and White

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo while RWBY belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth

Ichigo lets out a growl. "What's the deal with her? Even Ishida wasn't  _this_  ornery!"

"Ichigo." Ruby started. She and Ichigo are still in the same hallway. "I'm sorry. I tried to do what you and Blake said but-"

"It's fine." Ichigo said, cutting Ruby off. "It's not like I was expecting you to get the hang of it on your first day. Believe me, I didn't."

"You didn't?"

"I didn't really viewed myself as the leader-type. Hell, when Team IURR formed, I wasn't sure what to do after Oz made me the leader." Ichigo told her. "I was really expecting Rukia or Ishida to take the position." He remembers back two years ago after the initiation when Oz appointed him leader. Ichigo was really surprised at the choice and was even more surprised when Uryuu and Rukia went along with it given their prestige background. Yes, they did help him with it, but for the most part, it was all on him. "Even now, I wonder why he chose me."

"What do you think?" Ruby asked curiously.

"It is because he has qualities of a good leader." Ozpin answered, appearing behind the two, a mug in hand.

"Prof. Ozpin!" Ruby exclaimed, holding a hand to her chest.

"For fu...why do you keep doing that?" Ichigo asked.

"My apologies. Though, to be fair, you have yet to keep your Aura at a more reduce level. You are like a beacon." Ozpin chuckled at the pun as Ichigo blushed. It's hard to tell if that was intentional or not. "As I said, Ichigo here has qualities of a good leader. He is passionate, committed, honest, and an inspiration. Very much like his mother."

"Your mom went to Beacon too?" Ruby asked Ichigo.

"Yeah, she did." Ichigo answered. "I'll take a guess that it is the same for your mom?"

"Yes!" Ruby answered back.

Ozpin chuckled at the two, remembering back when their mothers attended Beacon. "Now, of course, Ichigo didn't became a leader on his own. He had his teammates to help him mold into the leader they needed because they have put their trust and faith in him."

Ichigo snorted. "More like scolded." He said with mirth. Ozpin chuckled again.

"So...it's not a mistake?" Ruby asked, still unsure.

"Ruby, I've made more mistakes than anyone had. Some of which that I have come to regret. However, my decision to make you leader is definitely not one of them." Ozpin said wisely. "You have a daunting task now. You both do. Please keep in mind of how to up hold it."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

If awkwardness was a smell, then anyone could smell it as Uryuu and Weiss made their way to the training grounds. They have not spoken to each other since leaving the balcony after speaking to Prof. Port and it only adds to the sheer uncomfortableness. Weiss had her head bowed to the ground while Uryuu stayed stiff as a board that you could be afraid his bones would break from the pressure.

"It's a...beautiful day, isn't it?" Weiss said. Might as well start somewhere.

"Yes, it is." Came Uryuu's reply.

"So, um..." Weiss started. "How are things? With your family I mean."

"Good." Uryuu answered simply.

"Um, so, how have you been? At Beacon I mean." Weiss said.

"Fine." Uryuu said. Weiss frowns at the short answers. Then again, Uryuu wasn't really all that talkative back then either.

Before they knew it, they've made it to the training grounds where everyone is waiting for them. Renji greets them with a peculiar look. "What is it?" Uryuu asked.

"And I thought Ichigo's pessimism stinks." Renji said. Uryuu glowered at the remark.

"All right, now that everyone's here. Let's get started." Ichigo said.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Today, we'll continue where we left off yesterday." Ichigo turns to his teammates. "Renji, since you've already spared with Blake, you'll be up against Yang."

"Alright." Renji replied.

"And Rukia, you'll be the one to spare with Blake."

"Okay."

"You four go over there. You guys know what to do." Ichigo commanded, pointing at a spot.

"Oookay. Good luck, Ruby!" Yang said. Blake only nodded.

Ruby turns to Ichigo. "Sooooo, what are we gonna do?"

"You two are gonna work together to fight against me and Ishida." Ichigo said.

"Really? Why us?" Ruby asked. Weiss also looked perplex.

Uryuu pushes up his glasses. "Given what has transpired in Combat class, we thought this is more well-suited."

"Wait. How did you know about that?" Weiss asked.

"That's another thing about the program. Whenever Prof. Goodwitch have you guys do a practice duel in her class, she'll have it recorded and send it to us." Ichigo explained.

"I see." Ruby said.

"Why don't you two go over there to think of a plan to help face us." Ichigo said. "We'll give you ten minutes."

"Please think carefully on your decisions, Ms. Rose and...Ms. Schnee." Uryuu said, casting his eyes down at the last word. Unable to see the pained look in Weiss' eyes.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"'Ms. Schnee?'" Ruby heard Weiss saying to herself. She could almost hear the hurt in Weiss' voice. It gave a pang of sadness in Ruby's chest. You would have to be blind if you couldn't tell there is, or was, something between the SDC heiress and the Quincy. They were probably very close back then.

"Weiss?" Ruby said. She quickly rose up her hands when Weiss shot a glare at her. "I'm not trying to pry in on your past, but I want to tell you something." Ruby pauses, waiting for a response from Weiss. When Weiss gives her a pointed look, she took a deep breath. "Look, I know you and I had our differences and that we have been not on good terms lately, but look where we are. We're at Beacon Academy to become Huntresses. I'm sorry for not being an ideal leader for Team RWBY. I get excited a lot and I'm not good at studying. And that's  _me_. And it doesn't change the fact I am one, whether you or I like it or not."  _Ichigo didn't became a leader on his own. He had his teammates to help him mold into the leader they needed because they have put their trust and faith in him,_  She remembered what Prof. Ozpin said. "But I can't do it on my own. While coming to Beacon early was fun and cool, I was stumped because of all the advanced stuff. If I'm gonna be a good leader for the team, then I'm going to need your help and cooperation. I need you to trust me." Ruby lends out a hand to Weiss.

Weiss seemed hesitant at first. Almost slowly, she has her arms out of their crossed possession and clasped her hand in Ruby's. "Okay."

Ruby smiles. "Here's what we'll do..."

Unbeknownst to them, Yang was watching them from the bushes. She worried for her little sister after that fight with Weiss and decided to spy on her and heiress. She smiles before returning to her sparring partner.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Are you sure about this, Kurosaki?" Uryuu asked.

"What, backing out already?" Ichigo presented it as a joke, though Uryuu didn't find it funny.

Uryuu huffed. "No, of course not."

"You're not gonna hold back, are you?" Ichigo asked.

Uryuu didn't answer immediately. "No, I won't. This is to help them improve, so I will not hesitate."

Ichigo softly sighs. "I know you don't like talking about deep, personal matters, but I just want you to know that we're here for you."

" _You_ , of all people, shouldn't be lecturing others about opening up." Uryuu retorted. Ichigo rolls his eyes.

It was at that moment he sees Ruby and Weiss coming back. "Are you two ready?" Their response was having their weapons drawn. "Good. Now, let's see if-" Ichigo didn't have time to finish. Much to his surprise, Ruby and Weiss speed towards them, Ruby attacking Ichigo and Weiss attacking Uryuu. Ichigo uses Zangetsu to block Ruby's attack while Uryuu uses the staff form of his Bogen Sperling to block Weiss' Myrtenaster. "Whoa! Kind of a bold move, isn't it?" Ichigo wondered, though not without a grin.

Ruby grins too. "Do  _you_  think the enemy will wait?" Ichigo smirks at her.

"Alllright!" Ichigo pushes back the girl and they clashed again. Uryuu and Weiss parry attacks at each other, staff vs rapier.

" **Rose Blizzard**!" Ruby commanded. The girls, via their Semblances, dashes around Ichigo and Uryuu in a big circle. Eventually, they are nothing but white and red blurs. The colors starts to meld together and grew into something akin to a mini vortex complete with rose petals, with Ichigo and Uryuu within the eye. The two move to stand back to back with eachother.

"Well...this is interesting." Ichigo commented.

"Keep focus, Kurosaki." Uryuu said.

Ichigo turned to him. "I know, I know." Big mistake. Out of the makeshift whirlwind came Weiss' Glyph beams. Ichigo block them with his sword. Unfortunately, the beams created ice to in case it. "Cool..."

Uryuu readied his bow, a string of Aura shimmering, trying to aim at one of the girls. He closes his eyes as he focuses on his Aura Vision, an ability the Quincys have. It is similar to the Faunus' night vision, though a Quincy's sight can change to seeing people's Aura, almost like a thermal imagine camera. He reopens his eyes, a faint glow present in his dark blue irises. He sees the dashing forms of Ruby and Weiss on the ground, red for Ruby and light blue for Weiss. He reels back his arrow, aiming for the hood of Ruby's cape. He releases it, but narrowly missed his attended target by an inch.

"Damn it." The Quincy cursed. "I missed. Have you freed yourself?"

With a rough tug, Ichigo rips Zangestu out of the ice. "Got it. Now..." He lifts his sword. His eyes flashed a golden color. "Better brace yourslelf, Ishida!" He brings down Zangetsu, creating a shockwave the moment it impacted the ground. The tremor made the two girls stumble and stop their run. Weiss was about to fall over, but Ruby caught her.

Uryuu appears above them, bow and Aura arrow at the ready. Using a white Glyph, Weiss takes Ruby and leaps out of harms way just as a volley of Aura arrows come raining down. Ruby shoots Uryuu, who dodges and blocks each shot. Weiss sees Ichigo charging at them. She rotates the revolver of her rapier to Earth Dust and summons a wall of stone to block his slash attack, slicing a chunk of the wall off.

Ichigo continues his slashing, sending pressure waves at the wall, even slicing at trees by accident, until it crumbled. He sends a particularly powerful one at Weiss. She crosses her arms in an 'X' formation to shield herself, but she knocked back, hitting Ruby in the process. Uryuu dashes at them to strike them with his staff. Weiss quickly gets to her feet and aim her Myrtenaster an inch away from his neck with his staff an inch away from her stomach. Ruby aimed her sniper-rifle at Ichigo just as he did with Tensa. They stayed motionless for a few moments.

"Good job." Ichigo congratulated, resting his sword on his shoulder. "That was excellent teamwork." He notices Rukia, Yang, Blake, and Renji watching them. "Shouldn't you guys be sparring?" Ichigo questioned.

"We should be, but then your battle got a little bit out of hand." Rukia said. The four finally looked around to see the damage. There were various holes in the ground, including the small fissure Ichigo created to stop Weiss' and Ruby's Team Attack. Speaking the Team Attack, there is a noticeable circle where they did it. There is also ice, some burn marks, and cutdown trees and piles of earth.

"Oops..." Ruby muttered.

"Goodwitch ain't gonna be happy about this." Ichigo said.

"You think?" Uryuu said, adjusting his glasses. "Honestly. You have no control over your actions. You swing your sword like a maniac."

"Oh yeah? What about that swarm of arrows? That caused as much damaged!" Ichigo barked.

"I have precise control over my attacks." Uryuu said, smugly. "You on the other hand have zero."

"Why you little..." Ichigo seethed, glaring fiery daggers at Uryuu, who returns it with his own icy stare. Weiss and Ruby looked back and forth at the two arguing, bewildered. The verbal fight looked very reminiscent to their own, much to the amusement of the others.

"Huh..." Yang bemused. "Would you look at that."

Ruby and Weiss looks at each other before smiling and giggling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: A Day in Vale


	16. Chapter 15: A Day in Vale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo while RWBY belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth

The first weekend at Beacon has officially arrived, which is an excellent time to have some fun today. And by 'fun' it really means 'studying', much to the chagrin of one Yang Xiao Long. Either through possession or manipulation, her baby sister decided that team RWBY should have a study session in one of Beacon's pavilions since it's such a nice day. Joining them was JNPR.

"Pop quiz, Ruby." Weiss said. "What two basic Dust is used to create Ice and Bubble Dust?"

"Uhhh...Water and Wind Dust." Ruby answered.

"And how do you differentiate the combos?" Weiss quizzed.

"Ice Dust requires a ratio of 3:2 of Water and Wind Dust while Bubble Dust requires 2:3."

Yang lets out a suffering groan, gaining her teammates attention. "Everything okay, Yang?" Blake asked.

"Yeah. Of course, I am. This is sooo much fun." Yang said sarcastically. "Can we go to Vale Mall instead?"

"To the main city? What for? We've been there already." Jaune asked.

"Because it's finally the weekend and we're here, studying. How boring is that? We should be hanging out over at the mall or something." Yang pointed out. "...And, I'm sure some of you here don't know your way around these parts still."

"Hmmm. That may be true." Pyrrha said thoughtfully.

"Okay then. We could use a bit of a break." Jaune said. Though, he just wanted to rest his brain after the strain he's giving it.

"Alright, Rubes. It's your decision." Yang said. "As team leader~"

"Don't use your sister's position of authority for your needs!" Weiss scolded. "Ruby, don't listen to her. We have a test coming up." It came out more of a cautionary tone then demanding compared to earlier in the week.

"Come on, Ruby~. I heard that there is a sale at Game Pause~" Yang urged. She saw a familiar gleam in the red-hood girl's eyes at the idea of games on sale. Like, maybe the one about an ex-knight and his dog helping a young noblewoman. Or maybe the one about a teenage pirate with a strawhat. Or a prince and his friends trying to save their kingdom from darkness...

Ruby clears her throat. "As leader of RWBY, I say we will go the commercial district for today." Yang pumps a fist in triumph and Weiss glares at the bombastic blonde. "AFTER we finish studying." Yang turns blue in disappointment and Weiss huffs in her own victory.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Ichigo gives out an audible yawn as he makes his way the men's restroom at his dorm. Since Kon decided to not heed his threat and tried to cop a feel Prof. Goodwitch (again), Ichigo made true to his promise by finding the little rat and tied him to the toilet in the last stall of the men's restroom. Virtually anyone who are acquainted with Team IURR is aware of the perverted lion plush and knows that if they hear a muffled cry for help in the last stall in men's room, then it's Kon in the midst of his punishment and ignores him.

Ichigo enters his dorm's men's room at goes to the last stall, which has a piece of paper taped to it saying 'Punishment In-Progress'. Ichigo takes out a thin piece of metal to slip through the door to flip over the hook so he can open it. "Alright, Kon. Your sentence is-" Greeting the honey-haired male was pieces of duct tape strewn about the stall and the amorous plush is no where to be seen. "THAT LITTLE SHIT!"

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Come on. Pick up." Roman Torchwick demanded impatiently on his Scroll. When the device went to voicemail, he slams a fist onto the kitchen table. "Why can't that woman answer the phone?" He complained, tossing his Scroll on the table. His partner-in-crime, Neopolitan, shrugged her shoulders as she file her nails. Roman sighs irritably and takes out his lighter. Just as he was about to light his cigar, Neo passed him a flyer. It was an ad about some kind of limited edition Neapolitan cheesecake. He already had problems to deal with thanks to his attempt at robbing Dust Until Dawn going up in smoke thanks to some little girl and Huntress and those idiots from Junior's Club have dropped from the face of Remnant. There's no way he could get Neo the cheesecake unless he wants to be seen by the cops and the petite woman isn't gonna want to do it... There is another option. "Where's the kid?" Neo jerks a thumb in the living room area of their hideout, where a television is on.

Seating on a couch, watching the TV with his knees drawn up, was a young man, at least 20, though you can't really tell at first glance because of the hood of his white hoodie over his head. It almost reminded Roman a certain Little Red. The younger male was pale and seems to be a bit on the thin side. Long, black sleeves can be seen coming out the hoodie's white sleeves, dark red jeans, and black high top converse with white soles. His mid-back length black, scruffy long hair lays out over his right shoulder from the hood, kept in place with a dark red hairband. Because his bangs hung over the left side of his face, only his right eye can be seen, the iris a red burgundy. That same eye is currently glued to the television, which is showing an episode of Karakura Superheroes.

/ _Spirits are always with you. Bwahahaha!_ / the actor for Karakura Golden, Don Kanonji, exclaimed, crossing his arms and laughing in a boisterous manner.

"Isn't that a show for children?" Roman asked to himself before looking at the younger male.

This is Zakuro, Roman came to know. Apparently, he's someone important to his employer's benefactor. As to why he is stuck babysitting him is beyond him. Yet another thing his so-called-employer keeps him in the dark about, among others. Well, since he's here and may have a clean slate, might as well put him to good use. "Hey, kid. I have a job for you." Roman said. Silently, Zakuro gazes at him. Roman shows him the flyer. "I'm gonna need to go to the city and get this." He digs into his pocket and brings out a gray Lien bill. "Here. Use the change to get some groceries. You're under my jurisdiction for now, so you're going to have to pull some of your weight." The younger male merely stares at him, almost studying him, before getting up from the couch. Zakuro was a couple of inches shorter than Roman himself. He takes the Lien and flyer.

"Okay." Zakuro muttered monotonously, pocketing the two items in his hoodie pocket. He strolls off to the door and heads out.

"Weird kid."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Teams RWBY and JNPR found themselves at the commercial district of Vale and back in Vale Mall.

"Ooh, Weiss! Let's take a selfie!" Ruby said.

"A selfie?" Weiss questioned.

"It's when you want to take a self photo instead of having someone else do it." Ruby explained.

"I know what a selfie is, Ruby." Weiss said. "I was asking why you want to take one."

"Because it's fun!" Ruby said, taking out her new Scroll, black bordered with red and the hard-light screen is a rose-colored. She puts an arm over Weiss' shoulders to pull her closer. "Cheese!" She lets go of Weiss after the picture was taken. She turns her Scroll around to look at the photo. "Having a Scroll is so cool!"

When the two finally started to get along, Weiss want to exchange numbers with Ruby. Imagine her surprise when the silver-eyed girl told her she never had one. Weiss was given hers on her ninth birthday. According to Ruby, Yang did some sort of prank call a couple years ago that went wrong and her father felt paranoid at the idea of Ruby having a Scroll. It wasn't until yesterday Ruby received a package from her father that had a Scroll inside, as a reward for passing her initiation for Beacon.

Yang takes a deep breath. "Aaah. Now, this what a fun weekend is." Weiss rolls her eyes. Then, a loud grumble could be heard from Yang's stomach. She pats her belly. "Whelp, time for lunch!"

"We just got here!" Weiss said. "We should at least look into a store before we decide our meal."

"Why not that one?" Pyrrha said, pointing at a store saying Home Craft & Decor. "It looks absolutely adorable."

"Well, it's something." Ruby said.

Ren notices the disgruntled look on his leader's face. "Is something wrong, Jaune?"

"It's nothing." Jaune said. "It's just say that I've been in these kind of stores a lot more than I should growing up."

"Well, too bad, 'cause we're going in!" Nora said gleefully, dragging her two male teammates by the crooks of their arms. The group enters the store, looking at the various decors and stencils and the like.

Weiss sees a white vase with blue floral markings on a top shelf and went to take a look. It was a beautiful porcelain, the blue hydrangeas complimenting the snowy white background. She fingered the lip of the vase to have a closer look. At that moment, another slim finger touched. Weiss' eyes trailed the finger to the arm and to the face of one Uryuu Ishida. Weiss gasped.

"Weiss, is something wrong?" Ruby asked, coming around the aisle. She spots Uryuu. "Oh, hi Uryuu!"

Rukia pokes her head from a different aisle. "I thought I heard a familiar voice. What are you guys doing here?"

"We wanted to explore around the mall. We're planning to go to the food court to eat in a little bit. Wanna come with us?"

"Sure, what not? Uryuu and I just got finished shopping for the student council." Rukia said, lifting up some bags. "What do you think, Uryuu? Up for some lunch?"

"I...I..." Uryuu struggled to say something. A pained look glazed over his eyes before he headed out the store.

Rukia sighed as she facepalmed. "Okay, this is getting really ridiculous. We'll meet you guys at the food court." She walks out of the store to catch up to her pale friend.

"Weiss..." Ruby said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Yang looks on with sympathy. She turns to the window and sees a Shoe Festival store just across from them.

Yang places a hand on Weiss' shoulder. "Hey. Why don't you and I go into that store?" Yang purposed. She turns to the others. "You guys go on ahead. We'll catch up."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Damn it! Where the hell is that little piss ant?" Ichigo cursed as he ran around every corner of the campus, looking for the sentient plush. He checked the lecture halls that are empty during the 4th year classes, the lunch hall, the library, the CCT, the dorms, and the men's locker room. As for the girl's restroom and lockers, he asked any female students who are aware of the amorous lion doll to check for him. No avail. He is seriously considering giving him back to Kisuke once he finds him.

In his haste as he turned another corner, he crashed into Velvet. Papers that the bunny Faunus was carrying went flying. "Ah, damn it." Ichigo cursed underneath his breath. The two finally made eye contact.

"Velvet/Ichigo!" Ichigo and Velvet said at the same time. They started to frantically pick up the fallen papers with Ichigo apologizing and Velvet saying it's okay. As they picked up the papers, they accidentally bump each other in the head.

"Sorry..." Ichigo apologized.

"It's okay." Velvet assured. "Why were you in such a hurry?"

"Kon escaped." Ichigo told her. "I've looked everywhere for that nuisance. Have you seen him?"

Velvet tilted her head in thought. "Actually, I think I saw him leaving the school grounds." Her ears drooped. "I'm sorry. I thought you had let him go already."

"No. There's no reason for you to apologized. The little cretin just doesn't learn though." Before getting back to his feet, Ichigo gathers what is left of the papers and lends Velvet a hand. She takes it and gratefully receives the papers back. "Okay...so...I'll see you later, then." With, Ichigo continues his hunt for Kon. Velvet's ears drooped again, almost dejected.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Uryuu turns off the facet, having to have calm down a little. The sound of running water had always soothed his nerves, even back during his childhood. His dark blue eyes move to his reflection in the mirror.  _How mature of you_ , he berated to himself,  _Running away when a problem presented itself to you with cold indifference. I thought you've outgrown this._  Uryuu tightly grips the sink, his knuckles turning white. "I did..."

"This is getting old, Uryuu." Rukia chided, entering the restroom.

"Rukia? You do realize that this is the  _men's_  room." Uryuu said.

Rukia coyly smiles. "You do realize that I'm the only girl in my team and I don't care. Especially when it comes to my teammates. Now, back to the main topic."

"I don't want to-"

"Talk about it. I know, I know. But don't you think you're being a little too harsh about this? I thought you two were friends." Rukia said. "Have you even tried talking to her?"

"I did." Uryuu said, not making eye contact and looking at his mirror image.

"Was it talking or just you trying to end the conversation?" Uryuu didn't bother to answer, but Rukia can see the guilty expression on the mirror. Rukia smiles. "I see." She leaps up to take a seat on a sink next to Uryuu's. "Look, I can tell that you two really close, maybe as close as Renji and I were. I can also tell that your hurting yourself by acting cold and distant towards just as much as it hurts Weiss. Ask yourself: Do you really want to lose such a bond? That answer should be 'no'. Understand?"

Uryuu pushes up his glasses. "Yeah."

"Great!" Rukia said, jumping down from her seat on the sink. "Now let's go meet up with Ruby and the others so we can eat and you can apologize." She goes to swing the door open with newfound pride, the door collided with someone outside in a loud bang. Rukia and Uryuu runs out to see a slightly older male on the ground. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!"

Uryuu sweatdrops.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Weiss and Yang entered the store, the smell of leather permeating from the store's goods.

"So, what's the deal?" Yang inquired, eyeing at a pair of flats in a box.

"The deal?" Weiss echoed in confusion.

"What's going on between you and Angelface?" Yang asked. "As his favorite neighbor, I gotta pry."

"Well," Weiss started. "He and I became friends about...10 years ago. On my birthday, actually."

"Really. Never him mentioning the heiress of the SDC being his friend." Yang said.

"You mean he never told you?" Weiss asked.

"Nope. Not surprising, if I'm being honest." Naoko said. "He's not the most open person, especially about his feelings. No matter the person, he doesn't like to talk about his problems."

"Really? Not even his family?" Weiss asked.

Yang shook her head. "Apparently, things were dicey between him and his dad." she explained. "Every time somebody asked what it's like in Atlas or Fors, he just grows more quiet than usual. You could practically feel the turn cold around him."

"I see..." Weiss said, a little downtrodden.

"Hey. Listen." Yang said. "Don't let what I said bring you down or see Angelface in a different light. I'm sure he's still the same person. Just more hard-headed." Seeing Weiss still seemed unsure, Yang places a hand on her shoulder. "Trust me. The best way to get anything out of him is to be persistent. Just ask his teammates."

Weiss smiles. "Okay."

Yang returns it with her own. She then spots a nice pair of brown lace-up boots. "Ooh, these look nice. I've been thinking of getting a new pair because Zwei kept chewing on my shoes. Hey, why don't you find a pair? My treat."

"Are you sure?" Weiss asked.

Yang flashed two blueLien. "I dragged you in here to ask you questions. Might as well compensate, right? So, pick a pair, any pair."

Weiss looks around the store, looking for something that catches her eye. She eventually spots a pair of white, thigh high boots with black heels. She picks them up from the shelf and shows it to Yang. "I have an outfit that these can go with."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Brown eyes twitch in frustration as Ichigo trudges through the streets of Vale, eventually finding himself in the commercial district. Still having zero luck finding Kon. Maybe he can get Uryuu to stuff a tracking chip in his body.

"Agh! Where is that perverted lion doll?!" Ichigo screamed out loud, gaining some attention.

"Perverted lion doll?" A young man with crimson-red colored hair styled, yet slightly messy look asked. Ichigo felt like dying right now, realizing what he just did.

"Ah...y-yeah." Ichigo said, feeling foolish.

"I think I saw something like that in a clothing store." The redhead said.

"You did? I mean, you did?" Ichigo asked, a little dumbfound.

"Yes. And considering what you just called him, that would explain why it was heading into a changing room."

"Do you know which store?"

"I think it was Always 17."

"Thanks!" Ichigo wasted no time and runs off. The redhead grinned.

"You're welcome, Ichigo Kurosaki."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Hey, guys! We're back!" Yang announced as she and Weiss joins the rest of the group at the food court.

"Hey!" Ruby greets back. She takes a picture of Yang and Weiss with her Scroll. "What you guys got there?"

"Shoes." Yang said simply as she and Weiss sat down at the table. She notices something across from them. "Who's that with Angelface?" Seating on a bench with Uryuu is the man Rukia accidentally knocked with the men's room door. His long, black hair hung over his right shoulder, a long-sleeve black shirt snug enough to emphasize his muscles. His white hoodie to currently being mended by the bespectacled Quincy.

"You really didn't have to do this." the unknown male said.

"Don't think much of it." Uryuu said as he sews. "Consider it my way of apologizing."

"If you say so." the other male muttered.

It was at this moment, Rukia appears with a plastic bag in hand. "I'm sorry it took so long. The line was huge." She hands over the bag to the man. "Here you go...What's your name again?"

"Zakuro." The man answered. He takes the bag, peering inside to see it's content. It was the limited Neapolitan cheesecake. "I'll pay you back."

"No need." Rukia dismissed. "This was my way of saying sorry. I should have been have been more careful."

"No, it's okay. I wasn't paying attention where I was going."

"So, where are you from?" Yang asked curiously. "I've never seen you around before. Did you just move here?"

"Yang, it's impolite to ask a stranger where they live." Blake chided. "No matter how good looking they are."

"You know me so well." Yang said. "But, seriously. Where did you come from? And don't give me the 'Birds and the Bees' explanation."

Zakuro actually seemed hesitant to answer. "I-"

"GET BACK HERE, YOU LITTLE CRETIN!" A familiar voice shouted. Everyone turns to see Kon being chased by Ichigo.

"Big Sis Rukia! Please protect me by holding me close to your virginal chest-OOF!" Kon shouted before getting stepped on by Rukia.

"You little pervert! I'll teach you!" She shouted, stomping on the plush.

"You really need to keep an eye on him, Berry-Boy." Yang said.

"Shut it." Ichigo said, snatching Kon from the floor after his beating.

"Uhhh..." Zakuro started, a little confused.

"Don't ask. Alright. I'm done." Uryuu said, giving Zakuro back his hoodie. The older male puts down the cheesecake to take a quick look at the cloth.

"Amazing. No signs of any stitching. You even got rid of some stains."

Uryuu smirks with confidence as he flashes a pocket-sized spray. "I never leave a work partly finished."

Zakuro ran a hand through the fabric. He looks at Uryuu. "Thank you."

"Wanna join us for some lunch?" Rukia asked. Zakuro goes to say something, but was interrupted by his Scroll's buzzing. He takes it to see a message from NP.

 _Hurry up! :{,_ The message said.

"Sorry, I have to go. It was nice meeting you." Zakuro said, putting on his hoodie. He covers his head with the hood and takes it cheesecake. "Thank you, again." He gives everyone, especially Uryuu, a grateful smile before leaving.

"So...You carry around stain-removers and a sewing kit wherever you go?" Ruby asked.

"...You never know when you need it." Uryuu defended, almost wisely.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"This is bad." A man in a black suit and red shades said. He and two other of his buddies, who are dressed similarly, are trudging through a back alley. Night has fallen as the shattered moon loomed over them.

"Damn it!" Goon #2 cursed. "How are we gonna get back to Junior's?"

"I knew it was a bad idea to work with that Torchwick bastard." Goon #1 whimpered.

"Will you shut up already?!" Goon #3 shouted. "We need to get out of here before-"

"Someone finds you?" a new voice finished. The three Goons look ahead to see the silhouette of a man. The dark shadows make it hard to see exact features, but they could faintly see the red shade of the male's long hair. He is reading a book.

"You..."

"Seeing as you three would be compromised," The shadowed male closes his book, read  _Myths & Legends_. "Let's have some  _ **fun**_ , shall we?"

Before the three goons could act, the mystery man disappeared. "What the-" The poor guy didn't even see it coming as his throat was sliced open. The other two drew out their weapons, red swords, and attacks him. The redhead dodges the feeble attempts with ease, slashing the chest of one and the stabbing the chest of the other.

"You bast-" The last goon gurgled a groan, before slumping down into a bloody heap. The man nonchalantly pulled his knife out of the newly dead body's chest.

"Well that wasn't much fun. Better clean this up and get back before anybody notices." The redhead muttered as he walked off. He flicks his estoc-styled blade in a single swipe, splattering a line of blood on the alley wall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Regrets and Reconciliation
> 
> Please bookmark and comment!!


	17. Chapter 16: Regrets and Reconciliation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo while RWBY belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth

_~Flashback: 10 years ago~_

_Uryuu was crying. A bunch of kids were bullying him because of his Quincy heritage. So what? He wasn't doing anything wrong. He was invited here. Soon, the bullies were gone and was replaced by Weiss Schnee, who hands him a handkerchief, colored white with the Schnee family emblem embroidered in blue. Uryuu looks at the girl through his tears, confused. Weiss smiles at him sweetly. Slowly, the corners of Uryuu's lips turned upwards in a small smile._

_He takes her handkerchief._

_~Present Day~_

Weiss stirs away, the sun barely over the horizon. She could hear Ruby's snoring from above, in that surprisingly stable bed. The heiress pushes her covers away as she gets up from her bed. She walks over her desk, a single picture frame rests near her textbooks. She stares at the photo forlorn.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Rukia stretches as to get rid of any kinks from sleeping. She looks over to her roommate, who appears to be still sleeping, his white comforter and white sheets up to his chin. Quietly, Rukia tip toes over.

"Uryuu? Are you still asleep?" Rukia asked quietly.

"No, I'm training to die." Uryuu said tiredly. Rukia playfully hits his shoulder. Releasing his breath through his nose, he seats up. He retrieves his glasses from the shelf next to him and puts them on. "What is it?"

"Do you know what you are gonna do today?" Rukia asked. When Uryuu raises a brow at her, she sighs exasperatedly, "Don't tell me you forget."

Uryuu adjusts his glasses. "Of course not. Just... give me some time to think about what I should do. It's been...a long time. I'm not sure if we could be friends again.

Rukia shrugs as she strods to her wardrobe, gathering her clothes. "Well, do what you need to do. Despite being as stubborn as a mule at times, you're kind and caring. Like Ichigo." Uryuu made an offended face at the comment. Rukia giggles. "Good luck and have a good day." She exist the room, leaving Uryuu alone with his thoughts.

Meeting Weiss was the best thing to have happened to Uryuu since his mother's death. She accepted him as a friend, probably his first friend,  _ever_.

Uryuu gets up from his bed. He's got a few calls to make.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

When Ichigo realized that he was more occupied with balancing his pencil between his upper lip and nose, he figured he had enough studying for the day. In fact, there's something he needs to do and it involves a certain silver-eyed girl in a red hood and an heiress in white. He gets up from his desk to leave the dorm he and Renji shares. Before he exits, his eyes wondered to an item on a table next to the door. Seating near a potted plant on the table is a ragdoll. He sighs and closes his eyes before finally leaving. He sees Uryuu reentering the dorm with bags of groceries.

"Ishida, what are you doing?" Ichigo asked. Uryuu silently points at his Scroll nestled between his shoulder and cheek, a dial tone humming. Ichigo mouths an 'Oh' before leaving the building.

"Yes, is this Klein Sieben?" Uryuu asked over the Scroll. "This is Uryuu. Uryuu Ishida." The Quincy nearly dropped everything when the man on the other end exclaimed with great happiness about hearing from Uryuu again after so many years. "Yes. It has been a long time. Listen, I need your help with something."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Ichigo makes his way to dorm 1-A. He enters the building and heads to Ruby's and Weiss' door. He knocks on the door. "Come in!" He heard Ruby say. He turns the knob to open and enters.

"Hey, Ruby. I was thinking we could-the fuck?" Ichigo said, seeing the makeshift bunk bed for the first time.

Ruby, who has been studying on her hanging bed, grins at him. "You like? I can do the same for you, if you want."

"Yeah, no thanks." Ichigo declined. "Where's Weiss?"

"I think she went off to train. There's something I've been wanting to ask you." Ruby told him.

"Ask away." Ichigo said.

"Why do you want to become a Huntsman?" She asked.

Ichigo crossed his arms in thought. "At first, I wanted to be just like my mother. I wanted to be a hero and save people, like she did."

"Did?" Ruby wondered.

"She...died. About 10 years ago, actually."

"Oh...I'm sorry." Ruby apologized.

"No, it's fine." Ichigo said. "It was after her death that I've found a new reason to become a Huntsman: To prevent the same sadness and grief me, my sisters, and my dad had to go through."

"I see. That's a nice thought." Ruby said softy with a smile.

Ichigo smiles warmly. "Well, now we got that out of the way, why don't you and I head to the training grounds after you study?"

"Ooooh, what are we gonna do? Target practice? Sparring with our weapons?" Ruby excitedly asked.

"Actually, I was thinking we could try hand-to-hand." Ichigo said. Ruby glowered. "Yang told me about how she tried to teach you hand-to-hand before you guys came to Beacon. And how you failed miserably."

"But why would I need to learn hand-to-hand combat when I have Crescent Rose?" Ruby whined.

"What if you get attacked and Crescent Rose isn't there?" Ichigo questioned. "Yes, having a melee-ranged combo weapon is all awesome and all, but there is gonna be a point where a Huntsman has to rely on their own hands, or legs, or both. Sometimes their head, both figuratively and literally."

"...On one condition." Ruby said. Ichigo raises a brow. "Please help me with my science study!"

Ichigo chuckled. "Okay."

Ruby grins and scooches over to give room for Ichigo on her bed. "You can sit up here with me!"

"N-no, it's fine. I can help from here." Ichigo said, moving over to Weiss' desk. Upon seating, he notices a framed photo. In the photo is two children. One was a 12-year-old boy and the other looks to be a 10-year-old girl. They were dressed in the pristine uniforms of the Atlesian Elite Elementary School. The boy was fair-skinned and have deep blue eyes behind big, round glasses. His hair was short and black with blue tips. He has the pointed ears of the Quincy. Is that...Ishida? As for the girl, she is also fair-skinned and her eyes are a light blue color. Her white reaches to her shoulders with a barrette in her bangs, the Schnee Family emblem attached to it. The girl must be Weiss then.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

_Okay Weiss, concentrate. Concentrate._  Weiss thought, Myrtenaster at the ready. She is currently within the forest edge near Beacon, training. Surrounding her are dozens of small logs dangling from the tree branches. Weiss poses, a yellow glyph with the face of a clock appears below her. Time Dilation: A Glyph technique that requires Lightning Dust. This Glyph greatly increases the speed of the person it's cast on. The hands of the clock begin to turn clockwise in a fast pace as Weiss glowed faintly. "Start stopwatch." Weiss said to her Scroll. As soon as the stopwatch function began, she dashed around with her enhanced speed. Using said speed, she slices the hanging wood. After about 15 seconds, the power fades away. Weiss lands gracefully back on the ground to see her results. 1,2,4,8...about 25 of the logs have been cut down. This is an improvement. Last time, she was only able to get 18 in the same amount of time. She's getting faster.

"I see you're starting to use your Time Dilation." A familiar voice said from behind. Weiss whips around to see Uryuu inspecting a sliced piece of lumber, a wicker basket with a light blue cloth in the opposite hand.

"What do you want?" Weiss asked, turning back around.

"I want to talk."

"Then talk." Weiss said, not turning around.

"And to apologize." Uryuu added. Weiss turns back around to see Uryuu is now seating at the base of a tree. He motioned her to join him. She complies, seating down next to the Quincy, placing her trusty Myrtenaster on her other side. Light blue eyes meet dark slate blue ones. "I...I'm..." Uryuu sighs. "I...have been immature in the past few days. I guess the pains of the past was still haunting me, but that is no excuse for my behavior. And for that, I'm sorry."

"Okay. So, why have you been avoiding me? Why were you trying to push me away?" Weiss asked, almost dreading the answer.

"...Guilt." Uryuu said. "It was guilt. After being sent to live with my sister and grandmother, I lost all respect for my father. I grew to resent him. Then I grew to resent the Ishida family, then Atlas and then pretty much anyone else that had nothing to do with my anger. That included you." He draws his knees up towards his chest, resting his arms on them. "I wanted to keep in touch with you, but that would mean I'm still attached to Atlas, to Solitas. It wasn't until two years ago that my cycle of blind hate was finally over. But, even then, it didn't feel right to try to make contact with you again. After everything. I guess...I felt that I no longer deserved your friendship."

The two sat in silence after Uryuu was done talking. Weiss places a hand on Uryuu's shoulder. "You are more than deserving of it."

"Still that doesn't condone that I basically put you up there with the rest of them." Uryuu said.

"You were going through the death of your grandfather. As well as the aftermath, what everyone was saying about you." Weiss said. Uryuu looked shocked at her. "I've heard of it from Klein. Albeit late, my condolences. Your grandfather was a great and kind man and a good friend of my own grandfather, who is also no longer here." Weiss started to fumble with the white ribbon on her sash. "It wasn't until later that I started hearing people saying how you let your grandfather die and even called you a kinkiller. How could they have said that? You were  _12_ , a  _kid_. I wasn't aware of what happened because at the time..." Weiss paused for a moment. "... On the same day your grandfather was killed, my mother and I learned that my father had married my mother solely for the name and profit." Uryuu's eyes widened in disbelief. "Believe it. After that, everything changed. Father became more unethical and cold, Mother sought refuge in a copious amount of wine, and Winter was barely there. It was just me, Whitley, and Klein. There were times where I wanted to call you, but I didn't want to burden you with my problems. Not when you were suffering much more than I was. But, even so, I should have been there when you needed someone. Some friend I was."

"Weiss, you are my first friend and I still cherish that." Uryuu said. He put a hand in his pocket and pulls out a handkerchief. He removes his glasses so he could wipe the lenses with it. He puts his glasses back on. A smile graced his lips at the cloth. "I've always had." Weiss looks closer at it. It was white with her family's emblem embroidered in blue. Weiss remembered she gave that to Uryuu when they first met to dry away his tears. She hadn't seen the handkerchief in years. It looks like it's still good condition too. "We were both suffering. Please, don't bare the blame on your own."

"I could say the same to you." Weiss said, reaching up at the tiara-esque barrette in her ponytail. She looks at the basket Uryuu brought. "What's that?"

Uryuu puts away the handkerchief safely back in his pocket. "A baker's dozen of homemade blueberry apple muffins, sprinkled with sugar powder, that I made in the dorms." Uryuu said, lifting the fabric to reveal the contents. Weiss stares in awe at the baked goods.

"How did you get the recipe?" Weiss asked, picking up one of the muffins.

"I had to call your sister to ask for Klein's contact address so I can ask him." Uryuu explained, setting down the basket between them. "He helped me through the process over the Scroll via ChatView. I hope they are good. It's another attempt at reconciliation."

Weiss takes a bite of the muffin, being careful not to drop crumbs on his combat skirt. After chewing a few times, she swallows. She smiles. "Apology accepted." She reaches for another muffin and hands it to Uryuu. The male was surprised at first, but graciously accepts it. The two and ate in a much more comfortable silence, enjoying each others company after so long.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

The sun was beginning to set as Ruby flops down, spread eagle and tired. Ichigo looms over her, unimpressed.

"That was..." Icchigo pause to think of the right word. "...pathetic."

"What did you think was gonna happen?" Ruby groaned.

Ichigo gives her a hand to help her up. "Let's try this one more time." Ruby groans before getting a 'fighting' stance. After a few moments, Ruby charges at Ichigo with a fist. Ichigo easily grabs her wrist before twisting her around, throwing her over his shoulder. Ruby finds herself back on the ground for the umpteenth time.

"I hate this!" Ruby complained.

"What's going on here?" Uryuu asked as he and Weiss walked up to them.

"Oh, hey Uryuu." Ruby greeted.

"What are you two doing?" Weiss asked.

"I would say we're sparring hand-to-hand, but..." Ichigo said.

"Honestly Ruby. You can't always rely on your weapon like that." Weiss said.

"I wouldn't scold Ruby if I were you, Princess." Ichigo said. "You're just as bad."

"I'll have you know that I am perfectly capable without them, thank you." Weiss said. Uryuu gives her a look. "What?"

"However, given what time it is, we would have to put it on hold for now." Uryuu said.

"I second that." Ruby said, getting up.

"Why don't we go out to eat? My treat." Ichigo said.

"Ooh, ooh, ooh! Let's go to Royal Burger!" Ruby suggested with new energy.

"Royal Burger? What's that?" Weiss asked.

Ruby gasped dramatically. "You've never heard of Royal Burger? Weiss, my dearest friend, how can I not see that you were depraved of such delicacy. That settles it. We're going to Royal Burger! Come on!" With that said, she grabs Weiss' hand to lead her, the latter looking confused. Ichigo and Uryuu follow in suit.

"I see that you and the heiress are getting a long." Ichigo said.

"Well, I needed to get my act together and to get a lot of things off my chest." Uryuu said.

"That's good. I wasn't sure how long I could stand you being all mopey."

"Says the pot calling the kettle black." Uryuu quipped. "By the way: What did you do to Kon after what happened yesterday?"

Ichigo gives him a Cheshire grin.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

A ding chimed as a dryer finished. It opened as a familiar plush fell out, exhausted. Seven loads.  _Seven_  loads of clothes Kon had to go through. And all of it were  _men's_  clothes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Red vs Blue
> 
> Please leave a comment <3


	18. Chapter 17: Red vs Blue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo while RWBY belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth. Ocs that appear in this story belongs to their respective owners.

*Twang**Twang**Twang**Twang*, was the sound of a bored Yang bending back a fork before releasing it. Teams RWBY and JNPR are in the lunch hall.

"Yang?" Blake asked.

"Yeah?" Yang answered, still bending and releasing the fork.

"Are you bored?"

"Why d'you ask?"

"Because you've been messing with that fork for the last ten minutes." Blake said.

"And it's starting to get annoying." Weiss added.

"Oh, sorry." Yang apologized, putting the silverware down on the table. She groans. "I'm just soooo bored. Is the year done yet?"

"Yang, it's only been one month since we attended Beacon and we still have the Vytal Festival coming up." Pyrrha said.

"Really? It feels like a whole year went by." Yang complained. "I wish the festival is here now so we can do some cool stuff."

Nora groaned too. "Yeah...I wish we could do something fun now."

A metaphorical lightbulb blink to life in Ruby's head. "And I just got the right idea."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Paintball fight?" Ichigo questioned with a raised brow.

"Yeah! There is this cool place over in the industrial district that's big enough for paintball fights." Ruby said. "I think we should do it. It could help improve our teamwork. JNPR and TAIM can come too."

Ichigo looks at the girl suspiciously. "Did you want to do this because it helps with team dynamics  _or_  to just get out of the usual stuff?" He asked.

"...Both?" Ruby said. Ichigo rolled his eyes, but smiled.

"It would be a good team exercise before we leave tomorrow." Rukia said to Ichigo.

"You're leaving?" Ruby asked.

"For a collaboration mission."

"Who's it with? NGUS (Negus) or IRYS?" Tatsuki asked.

"IRYS." Renji answered.

"What's a collaboration mission?" Yang asked.

"It's a mission where more than one team has accepted the same assignment." Uryuu explained as he adjusted his glasses.

"So, are we going or not?" Yang impatiently asked.

Ichigo shrugs. "Yeah, sure. Why not?"

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get going!" Yang said.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

The Vale Outdoor Fun is the perfect place for a paintball fight. It is located in the midst of the industrial district. The area looks to be an abandoned neighborhood, split in half by a line two colored stripes, red and blue.

The group are wearing black fullbody suits and helmets accented with their respective colors, but their visors are red and blue; red for the upperclassmen and blue for the freshmen.

"Okay, freshmen, what we're gonna do is a game of Capture the Flag." Ichigo said.

"The rules are simple: The opposing team needs to traverse the enemy area in order to find their opponent's flag." Rukia said, referring to the Blue Team flag currently in Yatsuhashi's possession. "Find the flag and make it back without getting caught, you win. Any questions before we continue?" Pyrrha, holding the Red Team flag, raises her hand. "Yes?"

"Do we need to guard our own flag?" She asked.

"Yes. And in order to do that, you would need to pick some of you to guard it while the rest looks for the other flag." Rukia answered.

"What are the losing conditions?" Jaune asked, his hand raised.

"Well, one is, of course, your flag taken to the other side." Ichigo said. "Another is everyone in the team shot by the opposite side's paintballs. Once your hit, your out." Ruby raises her hand. "Yeah?"

"Are we allowed to use our Semblances?" She asked.

"If you think it may help you, then yes. We've got time for one more question." Ichigo said. Yang raises her hand. "Yeah?"

"Why are  _they_  here?" She asked, jabbing a finger at none other than team CRDL.

"What? Not happy to see us?" Cardin taunted.

"Please, I'd be more happy to you lot lost in a maze."

"Oh, so we're amazing now?" Russell chuckled. The other CRDL members laughed.

"...Again, why are they here?" Yang asked again.

"Because we thought putting you with those you work less with may help improve your communication skills with that kind of people." Coco answered. "In times of survival, personal feelings no longer apply." No one could tell because of the visor, but the crossed arms and the obvious body language of displeasure was evident on Yang.

"Think of this as a collaboration mission." Uryuu said. "By being in larger numbers, you'll have a wider variety of skills and talents to use in your arsenal."

"Start your timers. You guys got 15 minutes to strategize." Ichigo said. "Dismissed."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Let's see..." Ruby said. "Who would stay to guard or go out to get the flag?"

"I'd say you losers stay here and play house while me and my team win."

"Um, in case you haven't noticed, we're supposed to be working  _together_." Weiss pointed out.

"Y-yeah. We need to cooperate." Jaune said, nervously trying not look at Cardin in the eyes.

"What's this, Jauney-boy? Feeling brave now that you're with your harem?" Cardin mocked.

"Okay. Listen, Ren is a guy." Nora said, somewhat irritated. "He has the same stuff as you do." Ren blushed a deep tomato red in his helmet.

"Could have fooled me. He has more going on here than the Schnee heiress." Cardin said, pointing at the chest. Weiss goes to summon a Glyph, but Blake stops her by grabbing her wrist and shaking her head 'no'.

"Let's take a deep breath, everyone. Arguing isn't going to get us anywhere. We only have seven minutes left now." Pyrrha urged. She turns to Jaune. "What do you propose we do?"

"I think...what we need is stealth in order to get the flag." Jaune said.

"So, who do you think should in that team?" Pyrrha asked.

"I think Ren could be in it. He's stealthy enough." Jaune said.

"Like a ninja." Nora added, making a ninja sign with her hands. She even scurried around like she was trying to be sneaky herself. Ren chuckled at her.

"I'd be honored." He says, taking a light bow.

"Blake, Weiss, you guys think you're stealthy enough?" Ruby asked the two.

Blake and Weiss look at each other. "I think we can manage." Weiss said.

Ruby nods. "Okay, let's prepare."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

It may seem strange to see a petite young woman strolling around the industrial district, but not if your Neopolitan. She grew bored at the hideout, Roman still hiding from the police and Zakuro was napping. She starts to hear a lot of popping sounds from an gated area called the Vale Outdoor Fun. She took a peek to see people playing paintball. She rolled her eyes at the childish sight and then gets an idea.

She knows how to spice things up.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Yang giggled as she removed her helmet, unleashing her wild mane of hair. "Whoo! That was a lot of fun."

"I wished we won though..." Nora pouted.

Cardin scoffed. "It's because of you losers that we lost." Their plan was coming along swimmingly, but the Red Team took the upper hand rather quickly. In the end, Uryuu was the one to retrieve to the Blue Team flag and brought it back to the Red Team side.

"What's with you? It's just a game." Renji said.

"You guys were just lucky. In a normal fight, me and my crew would have wiped the floor with you." Cardin said.

Ichigo glowers at him with narrowed eyes. "Is that what you believe? Alright, fine. Let's put it to the test then. Ishida, go set things."

Uryuu sighs before doing what he is told, the others followed.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

The group, sans Ichigo and CRDL, went over to a platform on a patio, looking over the area.

"Hey, Mizuiro." Keigo said as they stood.

"Yes?" Mizuiro said.

"Ever wondered why we're here?" Keigo asked.

"Not particularly." Mizuiro answered. "I do wonder about you though." Keigo can just imagine his friend smirking.

"Fuck you." Keigo said.

"This will be a simple paintball fight. If you get hit, you lose." Uryuu said over to the combatants.

Cardin chuckled with grin. "4 against 1? This will be a piece of cake."

"Round 1 will begin in 3...2...1." With a snap of his fingers, a stream of light flew through the air before exploding like a miniature firework. Not a second later, Cardin and his team charge forward...only to be stopped shortly when they got hit by red paint. "And the winner of this round is Ichigo Kurosaki." Uryuu looks at an imaginary watch on his wrist, his expression monotone. "And in record time too."

Ichigo laughs, resting his paintball gun on his shoulder and his opposite hand on his hip. "Ready for another round?" He asked.

"Yes I am!" Cardin declared, clearly frustrated.

Ichigo looks up to his partner. "You hear that, Ishida?"

"Loud and clear." Uryuu said. He looks to team CRDL. "But do keep in mind that you  _can_  use the buildings as refuge so you can stay in the game a little longer." Some of the other freshmen, namely Ruby, Yang, and Nora, snickered. Cardin glares at Uryuu too. Almost sensing the glare, Uryuu smirks a little.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

_Many rounds later..._

"Man...he's seriously kicking our asses." Lark said.

"Heh. Not if we use the real deal." Cardin said, brandishing a box.

"Dude, where did you get real ammunition?" Russell asked.

Cardin scoffed. "I do'know. I found them over in the corner. And, besides. Like we're gonna win anything with these kiddie stuff." He said as he loads the rifle. "Let's see how tough Kurosaki really is."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

The final round begins as Ichigo and CRDL confront eachother, their score being 15-0. Ichigo felt confident. He also hopes these four had learned their lesson.

"Go, Blue Team! Whoops, I mean Red!" Ruby exclaimed. She turns to Coco. "I've spent entire flag game to say Blue instead of Red and now I'm getting mixed up again." Coco smiled, almost sympathetic, as she pats Ruby's shoulder.

"Are both sides ready?" Uryuu questioned. While neither side said anything, he knew answer. "Final round begins in 3...2...1!"

Much to his and everyone else's surprise, team CRDL started to fire real rounds instead of paintballs.

"Whoa!" Ichigo shouted, ducking from a bullet. He dodges a few more before taking refuge behind a house.

"Not so brave now, huh Kurosaki?" Cardin mocked.

"What the hell?!" Keigo shouted.

"Are they using actual bullets?!" Jaune exclaimed.

"Everyone, stay back!" Rukia commanded. She places her hands, open-palmed, onto the grass. Slow at first, ice began to form. "Juhaku." The speed of the freezing picks up as the majority of the area gets covered in a sheet of ice. Team CRDL were trapped, their legs in-cased in ice while the rest of their bodies are frozen in place. "How very unsportsmanlike of you boys." Cardin's only response was a glare.

"That's so co – Ah, awesome! It was awesome, Rukia!" Ruby said as she carefully walks over the Kuchiki girl.

"Um, Rukia?" Came Ichigo's voice from behind a building. Rukia, Renji, Uryuu, and RWBY peer around the the corner of the house to see Ichigo stuck to the house by the ice. "Can you thaw me?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Camaraderie
> 
> Please leave a comment <3


	19. Chapter 18: Camaraderie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo while RWBY belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth

"What? They're already gone?" Ruby asked Tatsuki in the lunch hall, upset.

"Yeah. They left somewhere around 5 or 6 in the morning." Tatsuki answered.

"Where are they going for their mission?" Weiss asked, picking up a slice of a red apple.

"They're heading over to the City of Mistral first." Tatsuki said.

"I see. That explains the early leave. It takes at least seven hours to fly between Mistral and Vale." Pyrrha said.

"If that's the case, then they're probably there by now, right?" Yang wondered.

"Probably." Mizuiro said. "Although, it'll be about six o'clock in the afternoon over there."

"I remember Rukia saying something about this being a collaboration mission. Who are they working with?" Jaune asked.

"A fourth year team called IRYS. They attend Haven Academy." Orihime said.

"What are they like?" Ruby asked.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Rangiku...can't breathe..." Ichigo wheezed at the woman hugging him tightly.

"Awww. But aren't you happy to see me?" Rangiku Matsumoto asked, letting go of Ichigo and pouting. Fortunately, Ichigo saw through the ruse. She is a beautiful woman who can turn the heads of many men and maybe even some women. She has a long, wavy strawberry blonde hair, light blue eyes, a beauty mark under the left corner of her full lips, curvaceous, and very  _well_ -endowed. Very more so than Orihime. Ichigo wonders how Rangiku isn't suffering from back aches. A hot pink tank top that shows off her curves, a white open vest, dark magenta capris with a white belt, and white sandal heels. She has various metallic bracelets on her two wrists. Her weapon of choice, Haineko, a dark red whip, is strapped to her belt, along with two ninja scrolls.

"What about me, Rangiku? I'm happy to see you!" Kon said. "I'll be even more happy if you let me hug your-." He was swiftly punched by the woman when he got too close to her ample breasts.

"Took you guys long enough." the leader of IRYS, Ikkaku Madarame, grunted. He is a tall, muscular, and bald man with dark eyes with the corners painted a scarlet red. He wears a black kimono-styled shirt with torn sleeves and the kanji for luck (運), a white karate obi, and brown baggy trousers rolled up to his calf. He wears waraji-styled sandals and a gold-plated shoulder plate on his right arm with the kanji for dragon (龍) printed on it and orange fur around shoulder. Resting over his shoulders with his arms hanging over lazily is his weapon, Hozukimaru, resembling a regular katana and a wax-colored sheath with a red tassel at the end.

"You're timing  _is_  rather ugly." Yumichika Ayasegawa said. He is a beautiful man, almost rivaling Rangiku's beauty. His hair is shoulder-length in a bobcut with the strands framing his face cut shorter and wisteria eyes. He wears an orange long-sleeve turtleneck shirt, a peacock green kimono, and an orange sash over his shoulder and around his waist like an obi. He wears navy blue pants and black boots with tan armor. His emblem is on the corners of his kimono sleeves color peacock blue. He has feather accessories protruding from his hair on both sides of his head. Also, both his eyes now sport extended lashes. Resting on his left hip are his two blades, Fuji Kujaku and Ruri'iro Kujaku, twin katana swords with four sickle-shaped blades that fans out when activated. Fuji Kojaku's hilt is wisteria and it's blades are blue that gradients to green from the tip to the guard, where as Ruri'iro Kujaku's hilt is azure and the blades are green that gradients to blue from the tip to the guard.

"Be quiet!" Ichigo shouted. "Shouldn't we have met up over where the mission is located?"

"Professor Lionheart wishes to speak with us first. We better get going." the fourth and final member Shuhei said. He has dark gray eyes and he let's his short, spiky, black hair fall against his face and comes down near his ears. He wears a black/red leather vest over a dark gray ripped muscle shirt, darker gray jeans, and black boots. He wears a choker around his throat and matching armbands on both upper arms and black leather fingerless gloves. He also three scars straight over his right eye that lead down his cheek. Additionally, he has the number "69" tattooed on his left cheek, as well as a blue-striped tattoo running across his left cheek and over the bridge of his nose. In a holster strapped to his back is his weapon, Kazeshini, taking the form of two Kusarigama-like weapons, each with two scythe blades, with one inverted, giving it the resemblance of a pinwheel. The blades are connected to a spiked rod tethered together by a long chain. The blades are currently downwards.

"Lead the way then." Ichigo said.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Hey, Lionheart!" Ikkaku called out, abruptly opening the door to Haven's headmaster, startling the poor man. The tray containing the tea set given to him by Ozpin fell from his grasp. Thankfully Uryuu uses his Semblance of light manipulation to stop the fall and places the set neatly on the table, even placing the teacups around for them at the ready.

"Ah, uh, thank you, Mr. Ishida." Prof. Lionheart said to the Quincy. He scurries over to the table to apply tea to each of the cups. "P-please, have a seat." They do so.

"So, what's the deal, Lionheart?" Ikkaku asked. "Why can't we go on our mission right now?"

"Mr. Madarame, you should really work on your manners." Prof. Lionheart chided, chastising him like a father to his son. "And to answer your question: There is a disturbance of sorts occurring over the region between Anima and Menagerie."

"Disturbance?" Ichigo questioned.

"Yes. A tropical storm is currently underway. Because of this, all flights to those areas are postponed." Prof. Lionheart explained.

"Tch, it's only a stupid storm." Ikkaku dismissed.

"And you are only students." Prof. Lionheart retorted. "I'll be damned to allow all of you to go to your deaths before you could realize your goal."

"Then what should we do now?" Ikkaku asked.

"Take today off." Prof. Lionheart said. "The storm should pass by tomorrow." Wordlessly, Ikkaku gets up with a grunt and leaves the office.

"Apologies for Ikkaku's ugly behavior." Yumichika said.

"There is nothing to apologize for." Prof. Lionheart chuckled. "Team IRYS has been a part of this institution for almost four years. I have long since been acquainted with Mr. Madarame's attitude. Please, go enjoy the day." With a nod from everyone else, they get up to leave. "Oh, before I forget. Mr. Kurosaki, please stay for a moment."

"Oh, okay..." Ichigo said, somewhat awkwardly and remained in his seat.

"It was nice seeing you again, Prof. Lionheart." Rukia said.

"Likewise, my dear." The Haven headmaster said.

When the door closed, Ichigo turns to Prof. Lionheart and asks, "What is it you want to talk about?"

Prof. Lionheart leans forward, placing his elbows on the table with interlocked fingers. "How are you fairing?"

"...Pardon?"

"Prof. Ozpin has informed me not too long ago about the possibility of you and your team graduating this year. I just wanted to know how you and your team are doing." Prof. Lionheart said. "I may not be your headmaster, but I can't help but worry for every student who enters my school."

"Thanks for the concern, but nothing is official yet." Ichigo said. "We still have time to think about it."

"Well, that's good to hear." Prof. Lionheart said with a smile through his beard and mustache. "I have confidence that you and your team have the means to become fantastic Huntsmen. But, of course, give yourselves time. There is no need to rush. I'm sure that you are still a little shaken over what happened in the Sakuya Forest." The mention of the place made Ichigo clench his fists.

"Yeah." Ichigo gets up from the table to moves to the door. When his hand touched the handle, he heard the man say,

"Have a good night, Mr. Kurosaki."

"Yeah...thanks. You too."

As he leaves and closes the door, Ichigo failed to see Leonardo Lionheart's solemn, almost guilty, face.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"So, what now?" Ichigo wondered.

"I'd say we go over to the Gintonbo Tavern. They have really good rum there!" Rangiku said.

"Hey, Pachinko Head!" A small voice called out. An angry vein pulsed on Ikkaku's shiny head.

"Who are you callin' 'Pachinko Head'?" Ikkaku growled. Appearing before them is a small girl, maybe 5-years-old. She has short pink hair and red eyes. She wears a white, short-sleeved shirt with a dark pink denim dress, white socks and mary janes matching her dress. Nestled in the left side of her hair is a white crossbone hairclip.

"Why, it's you, Cueball!" The little girl giggled.

"It's either Pachinko Head or Cueball. Pick one, brat." Ikkaku demanded at the smiling girl.

"Ikkaku, be mindful of who you're speaking to." Yumichika warned.

Ikkaku scoffs. "She's heard worse from her old man." The little girl nodded.

"It's true. Kenny says a lot bad words that makes Re-chan really, really mad." She said. She notices team IURR. She beamed with glee. "Icchi! Ruki-Ruki! Pencil! Ren-Ren!" She runs to give Rukia a hug.

"It's nice seeing you too, Yachiru." Rukia said, hugging the girl back.

"Of all things to call me, why 'Pencil'?" Uryuu questioned as he adjusted his glasses.

"Because you're as thin as a rake." Renji responded. Uryuu glares at him.

"Hey, where are you guys going?" Yachiru asked.

"We're planning on getting some dinner." Ichigo answered.

"Ooh, can I come. Please?" Yachiru asked, her eyes sparkling hopefully. Ichigo looks at the members of IRYS.

"As long as no one is stupid enough to give her alcohol." Ikkaku said.

"Still, let's go ask Dr. Unohana." Rukia said.

"Okay!" Yachiru agreed, taking Rukia's hand as they head to the nurse's office.

"Excuse me. I need to speak with the headmaster." a rather sultry, female voice said from behind Ichigo. He turns to see a woman with black hair and golden amber eyes. Something gleamed in her eyes. "Oh, is that you, Ichigo? It's been a long time." Accompanying her is a dark-skinned girl with red eyes and mint green hair, a boy with gray blue hair, and another male with long red hair.

Ichigo narrow his eyes at the woman. "..." Why does he feel like he knows her? "..." This woman, she... "Who are you?" Ichigo asked dumbly, confused.

The woman chuckled. "Boy, they weren't kidding about your observation skills."

"Huh?"

"Kurosaki, she's Cinder Fall." Uryuu clarified. "Leader of team CEAM?"

Ichigo blankly stares.

"We met her during the last Vytal Festival when it was held in Mistral." Renji said.

Again, Ichigo looks on, getting more confused.

"She's the one who we fought against during the tournament." Uryuu added in. Still, Ichigo remained puzzled. His teammates sighed in defeat. "You're hopeless, Kurosaki."

The woman, Cinder, chuckled again. "Oh, don't worry about it. It's just a part of his charm."

"Do you want to join us for dinner? We're going over the Gintonbo Tavern." Rangiku said.

"That's nice of you, but I'll have to decline." Cinder said politely. "My team and I need to speak with our headmaster."

"Oh, well go right ahead. Sorry about that." Rangiku said, moving out of the way.

"It's fine." Cinder said as she and her team walk by. As she did so, she says to Ichigo, "Hope to see you again at this years Vytal Festival."

Ichigo stares as the woman and her team head to the headmaster's office. While he has zero idea of who this Cinder is, despite having to have encountered her before as his teammates likes to bring up because of his inability to recognize some people, he does...sense something from her. He can't pinpoint what it is, but there is something peculiar about her. His was pulled from his thoughts by Ikkaku. "Come on, let's get going."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

The Gintonbo Tavern was as busy as ever. Crowded with local residents, Haven students, Huntsmen, and members of the yakuza.

Rangiku let's out a sigh of pleasure from the sweet taste of rum. "Nothing says relaxing like a nice glass of Malibu rum. Or two. Maybe three." She giggles. "Or even seven!" She downs her seventh glass. Seating on opposite seat beside her are Shuhei and Renji, who are already under the table with Shuhei resting his head on the table and enji leaning back on his chair. Seating at the table with them are Ikkaku, Ichigo, Yumichika, and Uryuu, enjoying a meal. As for Rukia and Yachiru(with Kon in her grasp), they're at a separate table just next to them, drawing and coloring as they ate. Rangiku slams her glass down. "Whoo! That was good. Ready for another round boys?"

"Rangiku, Shuhei and I didn't make it past four." Renji groaned.

Rangiku pouted. "Hmph. Lightweights. How about it, Ichigo? Wanna have a go?"

"I'll pass." The woman frowns. She looks at the others to see they are not interested either.

"Renji, Shuhei, please drink some more with me!" She whined. Reluctantly, the two complied. Soon, all three are even more plastered. Flushed in the face and singing horribly, even knocking some things over. Some drinks were spilled, nearly ruining Uryuu's and Yumichika's food.

"If you excuse me, I'm going somewhere else to finish." Uryuu said, taking his plate and getting up.

"I second that." Yumichika said, doing the same. They move over to where Rukia and Yachiru are at.

"So, Ichigo. I gotta ask you somethin'." Ikkaku said.

"Yeah?" Ichigo said while he gathered some rice curry in his spoon.

"What's this about you guys over at Beacon playin' babysitter?"

Ichigo pauses in mid bite. "Where did you hear that?"

"Got a call from Mizuho telling me that her brother was calling her, whining and ranting about how he got saddled with a punch of freshmen a month back." Ikkaku said. The fact that the bald man still has the girl's number was shocking to Ichigo, despite the how much Mizuho annoyed Ikkaku. Of course, if you take in account to who she is related too...

"I see. It's more like taking on apprentices, if anything. We're more in a trial period than anything official yet. If things go well, it might get added to the Huntsman Educational System." Ichigo said, stirring the straw in his drink. "It's more is just us monitoring their progression and help and train them when need be."

"Is your team part of it, then?" Ikkaku asked.

"Yeah, we are." Ichigo answered.

"What's the team called?"

"An all-girl team called RWBY."

"Are they strong?" A grin started to form on Ikkaku's face along with a spark in his eyes. Ichigo couldn't help but smile. Typical of Ikkaku ask if they're strong so he could take a crack at them, regardless of gender.

"That depends. All I can say they can hold their own in a fight." Ichigo was not wrong. Despite her size, Ruby is a force to be reckoned with, even when she lacks much in the hand-to-hand department. Ichigo deeply hopes that Tatsuki can rectify that while he's gone. Weiss is very much skilled, her pride in her prowess almost rivaling Uryuu's. Blake can definitely turn the tides thanks to her Shadow Semblance. As for Yang...well, Yang is Yang.

"Heh. If you're the one to say that, then they must be strong." Ikkaku said, grin growing wider (maybe even wilder).

Ichigo nods. For the rest their time at the tavern, Ichigo looks around the place, taking in the scenery. His eyes eventually fell to other table where the rest of the group is. He notices that Yachiru and Rukia somehow coaxed Uryuu and Yumichika to draw with them. He could see their work from where he is seating. Yachiru's drawing consists of stick figures, which is expected of a 5 year old. Rukia's is, of course, bunnies. Only Uryuu's and Yumichika's drawings look good enough to be in an art museum.

A loud thump from his table made Ichigo turn to see that Rangiku, Renji, and Shuhei has passed out. He glances over at Ikkaku, who was shaking his head. "I'm not gonna be the one to carry Rangiku."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"So that's how it, then." Cinder said.

"Y-yes. If you go now, then you'll have plenty of time to set things up." Prof. Lionheart told her.

"Alright then." Cinder said, getting up from her seat and leaves, the rest of her team follows. Before she leaves, she tells Prof. Lionheart, "Remember, Lionheart~." She places a well manicured finger to her lips.

"Yes. O-of course." Prof. Lionheart said, looking down. Cinder nods and walks off.

Her eyes glow menacingly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: The Mystery of Erika Island


	20. Chapter 19: The Mystery of Erika Island

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo while RWBY belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth

"Erika Island?" Ichigo asked. He and his team are in the team IRYS dorm.

"Yeah, that's where the mission takes place." Ikkaku said. "There is a lighthouse there where, apparently, it's keepers went missing a week ago."

"And it's up to us to find them, right?" Ichigo guessed.

"Bingo."

Uryuu gives Rangiku, Shuhei, and Renji glasses of water and pills for their headaches. "Uryuu, you're an angel." Rangiku said to him.

"You shouldn't have done that. They were stupid for lettin' themselves get plastered." Ikkaku said.

"I am aware of that." Uryuu said, pushing up his glasses. He puts a hand on his hip. "However, we have a mission today, correct?"

"Oh, yeah." Ikkaku grumbled, getting up from the floor. "You three better sober up. We're leavin' in ten!"

They hear a knock from the door. Ichigo answers it and a man enters. He is a tall, lean-built man with light skin and gray eyes. His hair is messy and light-blond (almost pale), with strands framing the sides of the face and hanging between his eyes, and he has chin stubble. He wears a dark coat, which sports a white diamond pattern along its bottom half, with a dark green shirt and pants underneath. He also wears wooden getas and a striped dark green and white bucket hat.

"Yo!" The man greeted.

"Kisuke? What are you doing here?" Ichigo asked.

"Wait? Can't a man greet his friends?" Kisuke asked. He chuckles sheepishly at everyone's deadpanned expression. "I'm also here to give team IURR a new...'toy' of sorts." He presents Ichigo a small box. The amber-haired male eyes the container suspicious. It's small enough to fit Kon in.

"Is it anything like Kon?" Ichigo inquired.

"Maaaybe." Kisuke answered, grinning like a child. Ichigo looks unimpressed. "I was going to give it to you when you come back, but I figured 'no time like the present', right?" He places in the container in Ichigo's hands.

"Yeah, thanks." Ichigo said sarcastically. He deeply prays that it isn't another Kon. One is already too much to handle.

"I'll be leaving, then." Kisuke said, tipping his hat. "I'm needed at the shop. I'll see you all again at the Vytal Festival. Oh, and before I forget. Congratulations, Team IURR." The man in green leaves.

"What does he mean by that?" Yumichika asked.

"It's nothing for now." Rukia said.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

The flight to Erika Island was uneventful. Ikkaku is asleep, snoring. Renji had his eyes closed and arms crossed over his chest, resting and listening to music. Shuhei is inspecting his weapons. Rukia is reading. Rangiku is checking herself out with her Scroll. Yumichika is checking on his feather accessories. Uryuu has a ball of light in his hand, flexing his hand as he controlled the brightness of the light. Ichigo stared outside the window, watching the clouds roll by. He hears a ding from his Scroll. He pulls it out of his pocket to see a message from Tatsuki.

' _You weren't kiddin' about little red. You owe me.'_  the message said. Ichigo grins slightly. She's probably training Ruby hand-to-hand like he asked her to.

"Let's do a selfie, Rukia!" Rangiku said.

"Oh, okay." Rukia said. Rangiku throws an arm around her and does a duck face while Rukia only smiled and did a peace sign.

Ikkaku snorted awake. "We there yet?"

"We'll be there in 5 minutes." Yumichika said.

"Oh." Ikkaku said. He falls back asleep.

Uryuu cancels out the light ball and looks around the cabin. "Where's Kon?" He asked Ichigo. Ichigo didn't answer him, shifting his eyes left to right and left again.

"I don't know. He could be in the back somewhere."

"Kurosaki..." Uyruu narrowed his eyes. "You left him behind, didn't you?"

"What about that thing Kisuke gave us? It's not like I need him right now." Ichigo said.

"Yes. You do." Uryuu emphasized. "So, where is he?"

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

_Ichigo, you bastard!_ , Kon cursed, tears streaming from his face.

"Icchi said that I get to play with you while he's on his mission with Baldie and the others." Yachiru said. She pulls out a pair of scissors. "What should we do first?"

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Uryuu sighs. "Honestly, Kurosaki. I knew that you are irresponsible with simple matters, but this?"

"Irresponsible?!" Ichigo repeated.

"You heard me. Please tell you've at least brought the container Mr. Urahara gave you."

"I have it right here."

"You better have." Rukia sighs to herself at the scene. She has long since been used to this sort of thing, but it's still rather tiring. Renji second the emotion as he increased the volume of music he's listening to drown out the argument.

Ikakku, having enough of the two bickering, springs from his seat. "Will you two can it already?! I was taking a nap!"

"I would have had to wake you anyways. We arrived." Yumichika said. Ikkaku growls in frustration.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

A man edging towards the age of 60 sat in his leather seat in his office, filing some papers, when there was a knock on the door. "Come in."

Ichigo, Ikkaku, and the others entered. "Hello? We're here for the search and rescue mission?"

"Ah, yes." The man gets up from his desk. He shakes Ichigo's hand. "Welcome to Yudaki. Thank you all for coming. I am Azul Rodríguez, the mayor of this humble town. I must thank you for accepting this mission."

"Can you tell us anything more?" Ichigo asked.

"Yes. There is a lighthouse about 10 miles from here. Ordinarily, they send weekly updates to me. When the designated date arrived, neither of the keepers made contact with me." Azul told them. "I brushed it off at first, thinking that a one day delay is nothing to fret about. Then, the next day arrived with nothing from them. Then another day went by and another. It's been a week since then and still no word from them."

"How many keepers are there?" Rangiku asked.

"There were three in total." the man said, "All men." He walks back to his desk to retrieve a file of papers. He hands them to Ichigo. "Here are some transcripts of the three." Ichigo takes the folder and open it. There are photos of the three men along with some personal data. Angelo Raldo, age 37. Human, has a wife and kids. Forrest Tanner, age 50. Human, head-keeper and lived with his brother and sister. Koamaru Kiba, age 20. Faunus, wolf-tail, lived alone.

He hands the file over to Rukia after he got done skimming through the papers. His eyes lands on a painted portrait hanging on the wall behind the mayor's desk of a beautiful woman with bronze-colored skin, long wavy raven hair, and emerald green eyes. She wore an off-shoulder white blouse and a long black latin skirt with red fringes.

"Who's that?" Ichigo asked, his eyes not leaving the portrait. "Your wife?"

The mayor chuckled. "Oh, no, dear boy. That is only a dream for many of Yudaki's men. This is the island's namesake, Erika Llorona."

"She is a thing of beauty." Yumichika marveled.

"Indeed she was. It is a shame that she perished a hundred years ago." Azul bemoaned.

"Tragic." Ikkaku said monotonously. Yumichika hits his arm.

"Hmmm. I wonder if I can do that now." Rangiku wondered curiously, looking at her own ample bosoms. Shuhei blushes and turns his head away.

"Okay, before we derail, when do we go to check out the lighthouse?" Ikkaku asked.

"Ah, yes. I'll call for a horse buggy." Azul said. "It may take a while, so please, enjoy the scenery while you wait."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

The group find themselves at the busy main street. "So, what are you guys gonna do while we wait?" Ichigo asked.

"I'm going to the local Dust shop to restock." Uryuu said. "Also, my brother sent me a book that belonged to my grandfather. There's something I wanted try out."

"I need to go there too." Shuhei said, "If you don't mind the company."

"Not at all." Uryuu said. The two leave.

"Wait, I'm coming with you!" Rukia said, running after them.

"We meet back here when the mayor calls!" Ichigo shouts to them.

"Well, I'm gonna go shopping." Rangiku said.

"Like hell you are." Ikkaku said.

"What? Why?" Rangiku asked.

"'Cause you take too damn long!"

Rangiku huffs and crosses her arms underneath her breasts. "Name one time."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

_One time..._

"Look at this blouse! Are there any more in different colors?" Rangiku gushed. Shuhei stood beside her, looking content as he held many bags and packages for the busty woman.

_And another..._

"Those shoes look so cuuute!" Rangiku squealed. Shuuhei looked pleased carrying Rangiku's stuff. Yumichika is now with them, but looks less than happy to be there, he too is carrying some things Rangiku bought.

_And another..._

"You know what I need?" Rangiku asked. Shuuhei looks as happy as ever, Yumichika looked disheveled, and now Ikkaku just looks ticked off. As per usual, each man is carrying mountains of shopping bags and packages. "Some more outfits!" Ikkaku and Yumichika collapsed from exhaustion.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"I said  _one_  time." Rangiku said. "Aw, who cares what you think. I'm going to check out the boutiques." She trots off.

"Don't you dare, Matsumoto!" Ikkaku warned, going after her. Renji and Yumichika follow.

Now alone, Ichigo decides to look around. A particular item inside a store caught his attention through the glass outside. He gets a closer look at it to see what it is. It was a decorated skull with linings and jewels and such. If he remembered right, it's called a sugar skull. Funny name. He then hears something. Almost like an echoing 'shoo' sound. He looks around to find the source. To his shock, the once bustling street became barren. Not a single soul in sight. It was like everyone just vanished, leaving only him. Him and a woman just down the road in front of him. She resembled the woman from the portrait in the mayor's office. Irena? Or was it Eleanor? The only difference is that she is wearing a white mask with red markings running down from the eye holes, resembling tear tracks. The mask reminded Ichigo of the Grimm.

There is something unnerving about the woman. Unnerving and...Familiar?

Who, or what, is she?

A part of the mask started to break apart, resembling a jagged mouth, before the woman let out a deafening, inhuman scream. Ichigo covered his ears to muffle the noise. The woman/thing lunged at him. Ichigo flinches back, backing into the glass roughly. He clinched his eyes shut and crossed his arms in an 'x' form as he braces for the impact. He stayed like that until he started to hear the familiar murmuring of people. He opens his eyes to see other people stare at him quizzically, some concerned and others questioning his mental state. Ichigo rarely ever feel embarrassed so easily, especially in public. But, due to what just happened may have only been in his head and he just made a fool of himself, this is different.

Ichigo chuckled nervously. He moves to get away, almost running in to a hunching old woman in a blue dress and carrying a cane with a skull on top exiting a shop. "S-Sorry!" Ichigo apologized before running off to avoid everyone.

"Kids these days. Always in a hurry." the old woman grumbled, her robotic eyes/goggles squinting.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"The price for the Dust is starting to get more ridiculous." Uryuu complained as he and Shuhei left the store. "Not like I need any more reason to despise Jacques Schnee."

"Isn't there a lot of Dust robberies going on over in Vale?" Shuhei asked.

"That's no excuse to raise it here in Anima." Uryuu argued. "When Nicolas Schnee was still around, he made sure that certain can afford it, whether they may be for Huntsmen usage or common household appliances. Now, Jacques is merely exploiting them just to fill up his pockets."

"You really don't like Mr. Schnee." Shuhei observed.

"You don't even know the half of it." Uryuu said to him, thinking about Weiss' predicament. Uryuu was never fond of Jacques, even at a young age, due to his callous and cold nature. Perhaps, that was part of the reason the relationship between Uryuu and his own father was strained because Uryuu saw a bit of Jacques in Ryuken. Now, Uryuu saw the vast differences between the two men. "Anyways, with how the prices just keep climbing like this, we're better off excavating from natural sources." A pair of arms emerges from a nearby narrow alley, grabbing the two and dragging them in. "Kurosaki? What are you doing?" Uryuu asked. "And why are you hiding here?"

"I don't wanna talk about it." Ichigo said. "When are we leaving?"

"Actually, I just got a message from the mayor." Uryuu said. "A horse buggy large enough for all eight of us is ready. He is said we could set out at any time."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"If we had the privilege to come here at any time, then how come I couldn't continue my shopping?" Rangiku asked.

"'Cause you'll take all damn day." Ikkaku snapped.

They have long since left Yudaki and are now riding through the Morikai swamp. Ichigo looks around the area, watching for any signs of Grimm. He then hears the same sound from Yudaki's main street. Behind a mangrove, Ichigo sees the masked woman from before, watching them. Ichigo narrowed his eyes. He's got to get to the bottom of this. He moves to the coachman and taps his shoulder.

"Hey, uh, what's the story behind the lady this island is named after? Elena? Irene?" Ichigo asked. Uryuu shakes his head at Ichigo's slowness.

"Are you talking about Erika Llorona?" the coachman asked. "It's a tragic story, really. As old as the lighthouse. During the Great War, the lighthouse was created as a means for civilians to have safe refuge from the battles and sail to this island. Among them was Erika Llorona. Upon arriving, she fell in love with the lighthouse's first keeper. The two eventually married and had a child. But, the child supposedly died about a month later, after it was born."

"Poor thing..." Rukia muttered sadly.

"My thoughts exactly." the coachman agreed, adjusting the reins. "Not long after the infant's funeral, a number of newborns on the island started to die. Soon, people began to believe that Erika was a witch and is sacrificing the babies to revive her own. Some claimed they saw her commune with the Creatures of Grimm. Even her husband was having questions. After seeing what he thought was Erika summoning a Grimm, her husband gathered a mob and had Erika burned at the stake."

"Jeez, isn't that a bit much?" Renji wondered.

"Tensions rise during war times." Uryuu said, closing a book he was reading. "Some would even fall into the practice of superstition. SIDS wasn't fully understood during that era, so some would think the causes were demons, faeries, or witchcraft. Some had pointed fingers at the Quincys as being the cause, but after they left whatever village they were in, the deaths still continued."

"Were you present during the Battle of Kusajishi Hill?" the coachman asked out of curiosity. "I've heard that Quincys can live for a long time."

"No, I wasn't." Uryuu said, pushing up his glasses. "I'm the same age as my teammates. However, my grandfather and father were field doctors for a Quincy army against the Grimm during that battle."

The coachman's eyes widen. "Are you by any chance related to Souken Ishida and Ryuken Ishida?"

"Indeed, I am. I'm Ryuken's third son." Uryuu said, his voice hinting at rare pride.

The coachman chuckled. "Well, it's an honor."

"Thank you."

"So, what happened after Erika got torched?" Ichigo asked, trying to not sound desperate.

"As legend put it, Erika shouted at the mob that she will exact vengeance upon those who betrayed her, even her husband. Now, they say her ghost haunts the island, passing judgment on those who betrays. Her husband had claims that she was haunting him up until the day he died."

"What a load of crap." Ikkaku said.

"Ikkaku!" Yumichika chided.

"What?"

"No, no. It's fine. To be honest, I find the whole thing far-fetched myself." the coachman said.

Ichigo grew silently, thinking about everything that was said. He's not much of a believer of ghosts himself, but...he can't deny what he had seen. But, even if that's true, why is she haunting  _him_? Ichigo would rather die than hurt any of his friends, let alone betray them. Maybe...maybe the ghost of Erika can see into the future? Did she saw him betray his friends or something?

Maybe...Just maybe...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Deeper In


	21. Chapter 20: Deeper In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo while RWBY belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth

"We've arrived." The coachman announced, stopping the horses. Before them is the 100-year-old lighthouse. The lighthouse tower and the building attached to it are mostly white with green vines growing on the walls and the roofs and balconies are blue. The structure showed signs of aging, but it is still sound.

"Is it possible that the lighthouse keepers got lost in the swamp?" Ichigo asked.

"Maybe, I highly doubt it though. There are alligators, venomous snakes, and piranhas in there." The coachman told them.

"It can't hurt to check though." Ichigo remarked.

"I refuse to traverse into anything that would sully my clothes. That includes swamps." Yumichika said.

"Look at Ishida. He's walking through it in  _white_  clothes!" Ichigo pointed out, thumbing at Uryuu. Yumichika was still unwilling.

"Alright, alright. How about coming with Renji and I to check out the wood work?" Ikkaku asked, trying to compromise with his friend.

After some thinking, Yumichika answered, "I suppose that would do."

Rukia turns to the coachman. "Will you be fine on your own?"

"Oh, don't worry. I'll be in the stables. I need to rest my horses for a bit."

"Everybody has their comms, right?" Ichigo asked. After everyone confirmed it, Ichigo said, "Then Rukia, Ishida and I are going to check the swamp. Ikkaku, Renji, and Yumichika are going to check the forest. Shuhei and Rangiku will stay at the lighthouse in case something comes up."

"Alright. Have fun! In the meantime, Shuhei and I'll see if there is any rum here! Toodles." Rangiku said. She takes Shuhei by the arm and headed to the lighthouse. The dark-haired male smiled a little at the idea of being in a building alone with Rangiku.

"Is booze all she think about?" Renji couldn't help but ask.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

The swamp is silent, the only sound being that of croaking frogs, chirping crickets, and buzzing mosquitos. One of the latter landed on Ichigo's cheek. He smacks it before it could get a taste of his blood.

"Oi, Ishida, see anything?" Ichigo asked his partner perched in the trees near an algae infested river.

Uryuu shook his head. "No, I don't see anything."

"Have you sensed any unknown Aura Signatures?"

"Gee, I've never thought of that before."

"I was just asking!"

"Guys! We don't have time to argue." Rukia said tiredly.

"Damn it!" Ichigo cursed. "We're getting nowhere!"

Rukia gets an idea. "How about using the new tech Kisuke gave us?"

Ichigo looked unsure. "I don't know. Last time we used something from Hat-and-Clogs, we got stuck with Kon."

Uryuu leaps from the tree branch and lands near his two teammates. "I'd say we use it, considering you left Kon behind." Ichigo glares at him and Uryuu glares back, challenging him.

Ichigo rolls his eyes and takes out the container. He knelt to the ground and opens it. He reaches inside and pulls out what looks like a bird. A rather realistic looking bird too. Its feathers felt real, but after giving it a light squeeze, he knows it's more like a machine on the inside of the soft layer. The bird looks like a cockatiel, its body a vivid sky blue color with a light yellow chest and orange cheeks. Still, Ichigo is weary of this new MOD. If this thing is anything else like the lion, then he'll chuck it in the nearest trashcan. Or the swamp. Then again, what did the trashcan and swamp ever did to Ichigo to deserve it?

He looks around the bird to have a better look at it. Blue/white 'eyes' blink open. Its head turned left to right before focusing on Ichigo. Ichigo blinks. The bird blinks back before it narrowed it's 'eyes'. It kicked its talon feet Ichigo's face. While it didn't hurt, Ichigo let go of the plush to hold his scratched face. The angry MOD lands on the ground.

"Is that any way to treat a lady?" it, or she, scolded at Ichigo.

"Wha...?" Ichigo said.

"You need to work on your manners, human!" the bird barked.

"Well, this is different compared to Kon." Uryuu commented.

"I sort of wished Kisuke could of use something more cute than this ugly thing." Rukia said.

"Excuse me!? Who are you calling ugly, ugly!?" the bird shouted.

"Ugly?!"

Ichigo tries to make amends. "Hey, listen. We've got off on the wrong foot, so I would like to-"

"I'm  _not_  going to listen to a pervert like you!" the cockatiel said.

"Pervert?!"

Uryuu pinches the bridge of his nose. Maybe he should have stayed at the lighthouse. He does have a project he liked to work on. Then, his eyes flashed a light blue color as a familiar hollow sensation came over him. He moves to the river edge, gaining the other's attention.

"Ishida, what is it?"

Uryuu turns to him. "A Grimm." At that, Ichigo and Rukia brandish their weapons. The cockatiel lands on to the Quincy's shoulder. Uryuu leaps back into the trees.

"Be ready, Ichigo. It's coming closer." Rukia said, sensing it now it was nearer.

Back up in the trees, with his bow ready, Uryuu sees a large, elongated figure swimming in the water towards their direction. He could also see the faint red glowing marks in the swamp river. The Quincy aims an arrow at it. "Can you tell what kind of Grimm it is?" He asked the bird. She shakes her head.

"The water's too murky."

Uryuu greeted his teeth. Shooting it without knowing what it is is a risky move. However, he can't let it continue onward. This river may very well lead back to Yudaki. He releases his arrow at the Grimm, the projectile make a small 'plump' when it hit the water. The figure and red glow faded into the gritty depts. Did he kill it? It can't be. Uryuu can still sense it. Is it gearing to attack or is it escaping? He doesn't know how deep the river is. In almost light speed, the Grimm burst from the waters, its hundreds of teeth within a round mouth ready to swallow Uryuu and the cockatiel whole. The Quincy jumps away and the cockatiel take flight in time as the Grimm instead hits the branch. Uryuu lands next to Ichigo and Rukia. "A Bloodletter." Uryuu identified. "And a giant one at that." Bloodletters are aquatic Grimm that generally is the same size of their animal counterpart, the sea lamprey. Now, imagine a 50-foot version of that. It'll do more than suck your blood.

The Bloodletter let out a screech and it attacks the three on the river edge. They run out of the way. "Rukia, freeze the water before it leaves!" Ichigo declared urgently. Rukia runs over the river and dips her sword in it. She uses her 'Juhaku' technique to freeze the Grimm in place. It wiggled and thrashed wildly as it tries to break free.

"Kill it! Hurry!" Rukia shouted. Ichigo lefts Zangetsu and cleaves the Bloodletter's head. Uryuu backs away further from the black smoke.

"Well…That's taken care of." Ichigo said.

"So, now what are we going to do?" Rukia asked. "Where should we go next?"

The blue cockatiel perches on Ichigo's shoulder. "If you want, I can scan the area." The bird responded, " _After_  you apologize to me for being rude." Ichigo glares at the bird.

"You can do that?" Uryuu questioned.

"It doesn't work when it's dark out, but as long as there is sunlight shining over a wide area, I scan the area in a one mile radius." She closes her eyes as she does her scanning. "I detected a facility down that way." She points her wing at the denser parts of the swamp. "It's about 30 meters away."

"Thanks…Hey, what's your name?" Ichigo asked. "We didn't get a chance to get it before that Grimm attacked."

"Oh. My name is Lirin."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Ikkaku, Renji and Yumichika find themselves deep in the woods just north of the lighthouse. The latter had just tripped over another log. He lets out an aggravated huff. "Why are these things everywhere?"

"Uh, it's called the  _woods_  for a reason." Ikkaku said.

Yumichika climbs back to his feet and dusted himself off of dirt, twigs, and leaves. "They should have at least cleaned the place for travelers."

Ikkaku rolled his before he did a mock bow. "Whatever pleases His Highness." Yumichika walks briskly pass the two in annoyance. When Ikkaku stood normally, he said, "Sometimes, I wonder if he's really a chick in disguise. But then, I remember that I've seen him naked in the showers." They walk on as to keep up with Yumichika. "So, what's going on?"

"Huh?" Renji said.

"I already know about you lot saddled with freshmen, but was that thing Kisuke brought up about?"

"It's…probably best if we wait for the time being before I could tell you anything."

"Alright then." Ikkaku shrugged. They see Yumichika ahead of them, his back towards them. "What is it, Yumichika?" Ikkaku asked. He looks in the direction Yumichika is staring. To his surprise, there is a statue of a woman surrounded by red spider lilies. In its cradling arms is an infant and at its feet is a bouquet of purple hyacinth flowers and some sticks of lit candles. "It's a statue." He observed.

Yumichika was the first to walk closer to the sculpture, and then Renji and Ikkaku follow. Now closer, Renji takes a look at the face. It was smiling sweetly at the infant. He gasps. "It's her." Renji said. "It's Erika Llorona."

"You're right." Yumichika said.

"They made a statue for her?" Ikkaku wondered. "I thought they hated her 'cause they thought she was killin' babies and summoning Grimm."

Yumichika glances at the bouquet. "Those are purple hyacinth."

"So?"

"These flowers alone symbolize regret. For a person to leave a bouquet of them means that they are asking forgiveness."

"Forgiveness? For what?" Renji asked.

"Neither of you have a single romantic bone in your body, do you?" Yumichika asked. Ikkaku and Renji stared at him blankly. "I rest my case. If the story of Erika Llorona is true, then her husband has probably felt guilty and made the statue in her honor and gave her the flowers to ask for her forgiveness. The island was named after her."

"That ain't romantic. It's stupid." Ikkaku said. Yumichika sighs.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"How the hell is there a building all the way out here?" Ichigo asked. The house in question

"Mistral is known for having a criminal underworld. Perhaps it's used to smuggle drugs and the like." Uryuu hypothesized. "Or, since Menagerie is not far from here, it may have been used for Faunus trafficking. Whatever the case may be, be careful. There is no telling what could happen."

"Don't worry about me. I'm ready for anything." Ichigo said confidently.

"The time you a triggered a trap in ruins back in Vacuo say otherwise."

"Shut up." Ichigo said. "It's not like you were any help when that floor caved in."

"I thought you needed to learn from your mistakes." Uryuu said. Seeing where this is going, Lirin rolls her eyes and flies off Ichigo's shoulder and to Rukia, who is a few steps behind.

"What about when  _you_  tripped an alarm and a giant  _boulder_  came rolling towards us?"

"Th-that was…I mean…" Uryuu stammered, trying to come up with an excuse.

"Does this happen often?" Lirin asked Rukia.

"Unfortunately…"

"I don't understand how two people opposite of each other can work together." Lirin said.

"You could say that they're two sides of the same coin." Rukia said. "They have more things in common than they let on."

"I see."

"They're also family."

"Really?" Lirin inquired, her cockatiel crest rising up with curiosity.

"Ichigo's mom was adopted by the Ishida family when she was a baby." Rukia said. "So, that made her Uryuu's father's sister."

"Huh."

"Just don't bring it up to those two."

"Why?"

"Because then they'll be reminded that they are related and vehemently deny it."

"Huh?"

"What you guys talking about?" Ichigo asked.

"Nothing." Rukia said.

"There it is." Uryuu said. He's right. Before them is a log cabin, covered in moss. They reach the door and Uryuu knocks on the door.

"What are you doing?" Ichigo asked.

"…Force of habit?" Uryuu opens the door cautiously to a crack. He peaks through it. Not seeing anything, he pushes the door wide open. They walk in. The room was small. There is a single bed, a small table next to it with a flower vase, an old sofa, a table with one chair, a small fire pit in the floor with a pot hanging over it, several candles, and books. A lot of books.

Ichigo walks over to the small table near the bed. The flowers in the vase appear to be wilting, purple hyacinth. There is a framed photo next to it. Closer look at it, it's a photo of a man wearing, what Ichigo could believe, a lighthouse keeper uniform. His hair is light-colored and is combed back with a few strands framing either sides of his face and he wears thick-framed black glasses.

Uryuu picks up a piece of charcoal from the fire pit. "It's still warm."

Lirin flies to his shoulder. "Somebody actually lives here?" Lirin wondered. "Who would want to live in such a hovel?"

Uryuu eyes flash light blue again. "A Grimm!" He dashes out of the cabin, the others following. Outside, they look around for the creature within the trees and the waters surrounding the area.

"Look!" Lirin shouted.

Ichigo spots a cloaked figure watching yards away. "There's someone there!" The figure runs away. "Wait!" He runs after the person.

"Ichigo!" Rukia called. She moved to follow him, but noticed Uryuu standing still, looking off somewhere. "Uryuu? What is it?"

He turns to her. "I can't sense that Grimm anymore."

"We don't have time for that now." Rukia said. "We need to catch up with Ichigo."

Uryuu hesitated. He doesn't want to leave the Grimm to its own devices. Ichigo can take care of himself, but knowing him, he might slip up. Lirin flies to him. "Come on, we need to get going!" The Quincy sighs in defeat before nodding. He offers his hand to Rukia. Knowingly, Rukia accepts it. Lirin was confused. "Hmm?"

"Get on my shoulder and hold on tight." He said to the bird. With that, they vanish.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

_How the heck is this person so fast?_ , Ichigo wondered as he continues to give chase. The cloaked individual remained a good distance away and is progressively getting farther. Is this a Semblance or maybe the person is a Faunus with heighten speed? Either way, Ichigo needs to ramp up his own speed if he doesn't want to lose the person. They might know what happened to the lighthouse keepers.

He activates his Semblance, 15-Minute Power Up, to increase in speed. Thankfully, he is starting to keep up with the cloaked person. 8 meters away… 6 meters away… 4 meters away… 2 meters away… Ichigo leaps forward, his arm reaching out to grab the individual. He hooks his arm around the person's neck, causing both of them to stumble and roll down a hill. They reach the end where their stumble stops. The cloaked person scrabbled their—her—feet but Ichigo grabs her arm in a vice-grip. She grunts as she tries to get out of his grip. In her struggle, a pair of thick-framed black glasses falls from her face.

"There's no use in struggling. I have some questions I need to ask and you're gonna answer them." Ichigo said. He takes the cloak and pulls it away to see her face. Long, wavy, raven hair spill out and emerald green colored eyes glare at him. Ichigo stares speechlessly at the bronze-toned face. He's seen this woman before. On the painting in the mayor's office, at the main street in Yudaki, in the swamps on his way here… She's—

"Hah!" The woman lands a right hook into Ichigo's face. Ichigo let's go of her and she runs off. Ichigo stood in a daze, trying to make sense to what just happened. Within the haze in his mind, he could hear…cackling?

"Ichigo, what's wrong?" He heard Rukia ask. He shakes his head and the cackle fades away. He turns to the concerned eyes of Rukia, Uryuu, and Lirin. He gives them a reassuring smile.

"There's nothing to worry about. I'm fine." The hollow feeling in his chest unveiled his uncertainty.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Yumichika looks closer at the bouquet and then the statue. "Hmm…"

"What is it?" Renji asked.

"These flowers are new." Yumichika said. "And the statue has been thoroughly cleaned."

"How can you tell?"

"The flowers barely showing signs of wilting and, given how dirty it is out here, the statue itself is surprising scarce of anything…foul. Meaning, someone has been caring for this."

"Who? The lighthouse keepers?" Ikkaku asked.

"But, the legend never said anything about a statue of Erika." Renji said.

"If that's the case, then wouldn't the husband be the sole person to make all this?" Ikkaku questioned. "But, he died decades years ago."

Yumichika walks through the red spider lilies. "There's even not a single weed.  _Somebody_  has been taking care of the memorial." He makes a face. "What is that smell?" He covers his nose.

Renji sniffs the air before grimacing. "Whatever it is, it smells like rotting meat sprayed with perfume."

"Must be one downside of being a Faunus." Ikkaku observed.

"You have no idea..." Yumichika said, his voice muffled by his hands.

Renji then hears a faint buzzing, like insects. "I hear something." He focuses on the sound to figure out the direction. "It's coming from this way."

"Great, it's in the same direction as the horrid odor." Yumichika said nasally, pinching his nose.

"Yeah." After pushing through some bushes, they come across a mound swarming with flies. Did some poor cattle die here? "What the...?" When they inched closer, the flies got spooked and dispersed in a large cloud.

"Oh my..." Yumichika didn't finish his sentence, slowly covered his mouth as horror overtook him. Ikkaku and Renji eyes widened.

Lying before them are the decomposing bodies of two of the missing lighthouse keepers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Falling Rain


	22. Chapter 21: Falling Rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo while RWBY belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth

A light rain starts to fall as Ikkaku sat outside on a stump, waiting for the rest of the group. As soon as they found the bodies, they brought Shuhei over so he could help carrying the corpses back. After helping the coachman calm down when he saw the two lighthouse keepers, he agreed to help deliver the corpses so they could be properly analyzed. Rangiku, Shuhei, and Renji went with him. Yumichika is inside the building.

"Ikkaku!" He sees Ichigo, Uryuu, Rukia, and a blue bird running towards him. Ichigo said, "We've got your message. What happened?"

"Why didn't you guys answer your comms when we called?" Ikkaku asked.

"I guess we were out of range." Rukia said. "Now, tell us: What happened?"

"We found two of the lighthouse keepers." Ikkaku said. "They're dead."

Lirin gasped and Uryuu's jaw dropped. Rukia and Ichigo stare at the bald man in disbelief. "No…" Rukia muttered.

The door to the lighthouse residence opened, revealing a solemn Yumichika. "Come inside. I've made everyone tea."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

They sat in silence in the kitchen, Rukia and Ichigo seating at the table with Ikkaku while Yumichika and Uryuu stood by. Lirin is perched on the back of a chair. Uryuu places his mug on the counter. "Do you know the cause of death?"

"From the look of things, it was a single gunshot to the head in both of them." Yumichika said. "My guess: Execution-style."

"How long has it been?" Rukia asked.

"Judging from the state of the bodies, they've been dead for two days." Ikkaku said.

Ichigo's hands gripped the porcelain mug. "Angelo Raldo has a wife and two kids. Two kids that will have go on with the rest of their lives without their father. And Kaomaru Kiba…he's alone. He has no living family and he chose this job because his folks died in a mine explosion. But, he died regardless." His grip tightens. "If only we got here sooner…"

Ikkaku gets up from his seat and pats a hand on Ichigo's shoulder. "Shit happens. But right now, we've got other things to worry about."

"He's right. We still have Forrest Tanner to look for and whoever did this is still out there." Rukia said. She remembers something. "Wait. That person we saw in the swamp…"

"Person?"

"We saw someone deep in the marsh." Uryuu explained. He turns to Ichigo. "You were able to get a good look at them, right?"

Angry emerald eyes glared in his mind. "N-no. The only thing I knew is that it's a woman."  _'LIAR'_  a voice in his head sneered in a raspy whisper.

"And you let her get away?" Uryuu asked incredulously. "For all we know,  _she's_  the killer!"

"Lay off! She managed to get away from me, okay?" Ichigo said.  _'Liar'_  the voice in his head sneered again before cackling. What's going on?

Ikkaku sighs. "What happened, happened. Right now, we need to think what we should do next."

"Yumichika, is it possible that there is a log book here somewhere?" Rukia asked.

"I would believe so."

Rukia stands up. "I'll have a look at them, then. They might have an answer to what is going on here. The lighthouse keepers; the killer; the memorial statue; Anything." She leaves the kitchen.

"Well, in the meantime, I've got a project to do." Uryuu leaves. Lirin flies up to Yumichika.

"Will someone put the fire on in the fireplace? It's cold in here." She demanded.

Yumichika blinks. "Okay?" Can she feel cold? Ikkaku eventually leaves too to take a nap somewhere.

Ichigo is left alone on the kitchen table to be with his thoughts.  _'Pathetic…'_  the voice echoed and cackles again. His gripped on his mug made it shattered and hot tea covers his hands. He didn't register the sheering heat.

Ichigo's irises glows a sickly yellow color as the cackling continues.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Rukia scours around the lighthouse tower for a log book, climbing floor to floor in her search. She reaches the lantern room, a surprisingly cozy area with a curved couch, bookshelf and a desk. A desk! Rukia jogs over to look it over, checking under it and through drawers. She finds a locked box. It looked beaten and old. The petite woman almost feels bad about looking through something potentially private. However, two lighthouse keepers have been found dead and one is still missing, probably dead as well. Hopefully, whatever is in this box can help. All she needs to do is unlock it. She looks around for the key but couldn't find it. There's a good chance it's with Forrest, since he's the head lighthouse keeper. If that's the case, then Rukia has to go with Plan B in situations like this.

She goes down the tower to return to the residential building, finding Uryuu walking by with a portable burner in hand. "Where did you get that?" She asked him.

"In the kitchen." The Quincy answered, "And a good thing, too. I need this for what I'm going to do."

"Before you do…Please?" Rukia asked sweetly, presenting him the locked case. He raises a brow at her before smiling. He holds out his hand, Rukia gives him the case. In return, Uryuu has Rukia hold the burner. Uryuu takes out a sewing needle, bends it in an angle and starts his lock picking. He held the case close to his ear so he could hear a click, which he does. He gives the now unlocked case back to Rukia, who returns the burner to him. "Thank you~. You're the beeest~." Uryuu gave a silent laugh before walking away. "Now, let's see." Rukia said. She opens the case. Inside are two books. She picks one up and opens it. Bingo. A log book and, after checking the first page, it belonged to a man named Hidetomo Kajomaru.

Rukia plops on a leather armchair. She places the case on a table next to her and starts to read.

_[(May 10, 1653 O.R.) I've never done something like this before. But, this is apparently essential in this work, so... This is my first day as a lighthouse keeper, obviously. According to the higher ups, there's going be a shipment coming soon. With the war expanding, everyone is subjected to Grimm attacks. So, to escape, the people of Anima are coming here for safe refuge. I pray to the gods that they get here safely.]_

Rukia skims through the days as they were more about the daily grind.

_[(May 17, 1653 O.R.) It was worse than I could imagine. The Grimm had destroyed countless of homes and settlements because of the negativity of the war. I have seen so many people, Humans and Faunus, affected by this conflict. I have even seen Quincys. Up to that point, I have thought they went extinct a millennia or so prior. Perhaps that shows how bad the war is getting that even species in hiding are getting affected.]_

Purple eyes shimmered in sadness. Rukia could only imagine what people had to go through during the Great War. Perhaps abolishing the arts and repressing self-expression DID help to avoid Grimm-related tragedies, but the oppression that followed made things worse.

_[(May 18, 1853 O.R.) I have met an interesting woman. It was as though she appeared out of the blue. She is not native to Anima, that much I'm sure. When I spoke with her, she told me she has always lived here, deep in the swamps. I asked her for her name. She told me it was Erika Llorona.]_

_Erika Llorona…_ , Rukia thought.  _So, Hidetomo was her husband. And she lived in that house in the swamp? I wonder who lives in it now…_

_[(May 20, 1853 O.R.) Ms. Llorona is an intriguing woman. She has this air of mystique, as though she more about the world than anyone else.]_

Rukia skims through the pages.

_[(August 20, 1854 O.R.) I am to be wed and to the woman who made my life much brighter. In spite of this wretched war, I couldn't be happier.]_

Rukia skimmed through more pages.

_[(May 18, 1855 O.R.) We are now a family of three: Me, my wife Erika, and our newborn son Emeraude. We have heard of other parents naming their children after colors as to show their resilience against the banishment of individualism and felt we should do the same. We've named ours after Erika's beautiful eyes that he inherited.]_

Rukia smiles at the entry. She could practically hear the joy through Hidetomo's writings. But, she also has a feeling of sadness, knowing full well what would transpire.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Yumichika finds Uryuu seating at a desk in one of the lighthouse's rooms. On the desk is the portable burner with a pot of boiling liquid, an old book with unknown writing, various small shards of Dust on a cloth, and small silver tubes, approximately 5 centimeters in size. Yumichika lightly taps the doorframe to get the Quincy's attention without spooking him.

Uryuu stops at mid left with a pair of tweezers in his hand holding a Fire Dust shard, his hands covered with protective gloves. "Oh, Yumichika. Do you need something?"

"No, I just want to be somewhere quieter, away from Ikkaku's snoring." Yumichika said. "If you don't mind the company, I'll stay here."

Uryuu shakes his. "No, not at all." He returns to what he was doing. He places the Dust shard in one of the silver tubes. He takes a ladle and scoops out some of the boiling liquid and pours it in the tube. Uryuu screws the lead to it shut and shakes the tube. A faint, red glow illuminates from the object. He puts it with the other finished products.

"What exactly are you doing?" Yumichika asked.

"Something that my older brother found in Grandfather's old study back in Fors." Uryuu answered. "He thought I would be interested in trying it out."

"I see…" Yumichika said. "So, what are they?"

"Silber Tube or Silver Tubes, however you want to call them." Uryuu answered as he repeated the process with a Wind Dust shard. "Just as it looks, they contain Dust so that way the Dust could be used for various techniques."

"Oooh." Yumichika drawled. He makes himself comfortable on an armchair with a book in hand.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Rukia skimmed some more, eventually coming across a few days gap after a two month time.

_[(July 12, 1855 O.R.) Apologies for not writing lately. Emeraude have died four days ago. I and my wife are still grieving.]_

Rukia could see faint tear stains on the page. She turns more pages.

_[(July 21, 1855 O.R.) The people of the village have been acting strange lately. What is going on?]_

_[(August 17, 1855 O.R.) Apparently, infants are dying in the village. They've accused the Quincys as the culprits, but they have left some time ago. Now, they are blaming Erika, accusing her of being a witch. How could they say that? She is still mourning over the death of our own child. Yes, she's not like the rest of us, but does that mean she is a threat? She has done nothing except be a loving person to everyone. How could they betray her like that?]_

Rukia's grip on the book tightens. Even today, if people see someone as abnormal or not like everyone else, then they're freaks in their eyes. Like racism with how Humans treat Faunus and even Quincys, as well as sexual orientation. Rukia remembered some hushed words back at school about Uryuu's and Tatsuki's preferences and their words sickened the woman.

_[(August 28, 1855 O.R.) What have I done? Oh gods', what have I done? How could I have done such a thing to Erika, my wife and the mother of our child? I am no different than those who ridiculed Erika. I can still hear her melodic voice now.]_

The next entries were of Hidetomo growing guilt over what happened.

_[(September 19, 1855 O.R.) I can still see her image everywhere I go. Am I going insane? Is this my punishment for what I've done?]_

She turns the page. The few dozen more entries sounded more and more like a madman wrecked with guilt. Then, the pages are blank. She turns the pages, more blanks. She starts to flip through the blank papers until she reached the final entry.

_[(January 17, 0052 U.T.I.) I know that I have not been updating for so many years and you would probably have some questions. I can't tell you everything, but I will say that our world is much larger than we could ever imagine. There are hidden secrets and mysteries that perhaps should have remained as secrets. It is beyond our comprehension. I advise you not to look for those answers. It would only make matters worse. My time is drawing near and now I pass the torch to you. In my place, please take care of the memorial for my beloved Erika. It is in the forest near the lighthouse, I've made a map for you. Stay out of the swamps, it's too dangerous. Please, keep this a secret from everyone else, even from your own men. Good luck, Forrest Tanner.]_

Rukia's widened. She closes the log book and picks up the other one, Forrest's, and promptly reads it.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Ichigo sits on a window seat in the parlor room, watching raindrops on the glass run down, fusion with other droplets. Lirin is not too far away, reading a magazine on the sofa. The rain had stopped not too long ago, a light mist hovering low to the ground, but the fog in Ichigo's mind remained. He feels…drained? Suffocated? One or the other. Either way, Ichigo doesn't feel right at the moment. At least the voices have stopped…

Among the thoughts, droplets and mist, Ichigo sees someone familiar. It was that cloaked woman from before, her hood covering her head. She stood at the edge of the forest, looking straight at him. And he knew she was when she motioned at him to come over. A part of him said stay put, but this could be his chance at getting some answers. He gets up from his spot and grabs his coat that was hanging on the back of a chair.

"Where are you going?" Lirin asked.

"To check something out," Was Ichigo's answer as he put on his coat. "Stay here in case something happens." He leaves a slightly confused Lirin in the parlor and heads outside. He goes around the building to where he saw the cloaked woman, only to see her gone. Almost on pure instinct, he enters the woods. Unknown to him, he is being followed. Ichigo finds the woman not too far away, seating on a rock as she waited for him. Ichigo wasted no time. "All right, no bullshitting around."

The woman pulls her hood down, revealing her bespectacled face. "I'm sure you have some questions for me."

"Damn straight." Ichigo said. "Who are you? Are you…Erika Llorona?"

The woman shakes her head. "My name is Heather. I am…a relative of hers."

"So, like a descendant?" Ichigo asked.

"You could say that."

"I thought her kid died in infancy. How can there be descendants?"

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe she had a family beforehand?" What she said could be true. After all, there was no mention of Erika having parents or siblings. Heather could easily be Erika's great-great grandniece. Still…

"Do you live in that house in Morikai swamp?" Ichigo asked.

"Yes."

"Why? It's dangerous there. Can't you live in the village nearby?"

"I've never been in the village. It's for the best that I stay away from there." Her cryptic answer made Ichigo more suspicious.

"Did you kill the two lighthouse keepers?" He finally asked.

"No." He studied her, to see if she was telling the truth. He had a gut feeling that she is.

"Do you know who did?" He asked her.

Heather was about to answer when a callous hand clasped over her mouth. The owner of the hand is a man nearing 50, his graying hair combed back and sports a beard and moustache. Ichigo recognized him. "Forest Tanner." He reaches inside his coat pocket.

"Don't even think about it." Tanner said, brandishing a caliber handgun and points it at Heather's temple. Ichigo raises his hands up. "Good. Now, follow me."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Rukia barges into the room. "Uryuu!" Her shout startled the Quincy that he dropped a silver tube he just finished and leaped on to the chair he is seating on. Yumichika, who was still in the room with Uryuu, dropped his book in alarm.

"Was that necessary?!" Uryuu asked angrily as he sat normally, making sure the back of his long cheongsam hung loose behind him.

"Never mind that! Take a look at this!" Rukia said, thrusting a piece of paper in his face. Uryuu takes it.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Entries from the log books." Rukia answered. "I wrote down ones that are more important." Uryuu reads through the entries, as did Yumichika from over the Quincy's shoulder. Their eyes widened in shock. Rukia looks serious. "We need to go into the woods, now!" She stops. "Wait, where's Ichigo?"

"I think I saw him in the parlor room earlier." Yumichika said.

"He's not here." Lirin said, flying to them when she heard the commotion and lands on Rukia's shoulder.

"What? Where did he go?" Uryuu asked.

"I don't know. He told me to stay until something happens." The bird A.I. said, growing concerned.

"Oh, no…" Rukia muttered. It was this moment Ikkaku enters.

"You guys are gonna want to hear this." The bald man said, holding his red communicator earpiece.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Forrest leads them through the trees, having Ichigo in front so he could watch him. The old man's grip on Heather never let up and his gun is still pointed at her. They soon come across Erika's memorial garden

"So that's Erika's statue." Ichigo commented out loud.

"Turn around." Forrest instructed. When Ichigo didn't move, the head keeper shoots his gun at the ground. Heather yelped. "I said turn around!" This time, Ichigo complies. "Now chuck your weapons over there." He nods his head to a direction ways from Ichigo. "And don't get any bright ideas." He nudges the gun closer to Heather's head. The amber-haired male reaches down to Tensa and takes it out of its holster. He gathers the chains connected to it before tossing Tensa aside. He then takes Zangetsu and does the same. "Good boy. Now get on the ground. Keep your arms up high." Ichigo lowers himself onto his knees. Forrest shoves Heather forward, aim his gun at her. "You go next to him and do the same." With no hesitation, Heather moves to Ichigo's side. Forrest still aimed his gun at them. Ichigo takes the moment to assess the situation. He looks over to where he figured the bodies of Angelo and Kaomaru were found. He started to connect the dots.

"You're gonna kill us, are ya? Like how you killed the other keepers." Ichigo asked. Heather gasped. Forrest didn't say anything. "Why are you doing this? What is it that you—"

"I didn't want to do it." Forrest said, interrupting Ichigo. "I didn't want to, but I had to. She would have done it anyway."

She? "But why did you kill Angelo and Kaomaru?" Ichigo asked. "Why did you do it? Angelo has a family back at home an—"

"They were close, so close at discovering the truth." Forrest said. His gun hand starts to shake. "If I hadn't ended them, then they would have become Her slaves."

"Who is her?" Ichigo asked.

The shaking continues. "No matter what I do, Her words still echo through my head." He takes a quick glance at Erika's statue. He looks at Heather. "She warned me what would happen if Her words were not heed."

"Who is her?!" Ichigo questioned, trying to get some answers.

"But it won't matter anymore, now that you know."

"Know what?!" Ichigo had never been so lost.

"The end will come for us all." Forrest aims the gun at Heather. He pulls the trigger. In the blink of an eye, Ichigo grabs Heather and they hit the ground. The bullet misses, hitting at the ground near the statue. Heather looks at Ichigo in awe. Ichigo, however, glares at Forrest and his smoking gun.

"That was not a  _bright_  idea." A ball of light was thrown in their direction and a flash of light shines, blinding Forrest. Ichigo takes the opportune moment to grab Tensa's chain and runs at Forrest. He knocks the gun out of his grasp and ties him up with the chain. From the forest Uryuu, Rukia, Ikkaku, and Yumichika emerge. At the sight of them, Heather runs. Uryuu sees this and moves to give chase, but was stopped by Ichigo saying, "Let her go, she has nothing to do with this. We've got our man."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

The law enforcers from the Mistral Police Bureau arrived at Yudaki the next day to take Tanner away. "You people don't understand. You are all underestimating Her will! The end is coming. The END is COMING!" Tanner exclaimed, sounding like a madman.

"Keep moving!" The Senior Commissioner, Chojiro Sasakibe, demanded, taking Tanner to the Mistralian Sailship. There is a crowd surrounding on the side, watching the spectacle. Teams IURR and IRYS are some ways away with the mayor.

"Thank you all so much for the help." Azul said.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think we deserve the thanks." Rukia said. "Two of the lighthouse keepers were killed by one of their own and said person is now heading to prison."

"Still, you helped to recover the men's bodies." Azul reassured. "I'll make sure that are sent to their families so they may rest in peace."

"Sir, Kaomaru has no family." Ichigo said. He braced for a negative comment, but the mayor only smiled.

"Not to worry. I'll make sure the young lad gets a proper burial." He then looks sad. "When his parents died in the Dust mining accident in the Schnee quarry over in Anima six years ago, no one wanted to take him in. But Forrest did. Forrest treated Kaomaru like he was his own son. I can't help but wonder what caused him to do such a thing." He straightens himself. "Well, it's our problem to deal with now. I'll inform your headmasters about the payment. And again, thank you." He takes his leave.

"It kinda feels like a hollow victory." Renji said.

"It's not like it's the first mission we have that involved a death or two." Ikkaku said. A heavy silence fell onto IURR.

"Ikkaku…" Yumichika said, his voice chastising.

"What?"

"Learn to read the atmosphere."

Rangiku stretches her arms up. "Well, another job done. Let's go to the pub to drink in celebration!" She drags Renji and Shuhei along.

"Don't we have a flight in an hour?" Renji asked. Ikkaku only grumbles as Yumichika chuckled. They follow to the pub. Ichigo and Uryuu, along with Lirin, stayed behind.

"I've got to say. It was smart of you to turn on your communicator at the moment you confronted Forrest." Uryuu complimented.

"A compliment from  _you_ , huh? I wonder if Hell has frozen over." Ichigo quipped. "Any ideas about that 'Her' business the guy was spouting?"

"It's hard to say. There are hundreds of beliefs, religions, and mythologies." Uryuu said. He turns to have a walk. "He could be referring to any sort of divine figure."

"Any chances it may be the Wandenreich cult group?" Ichigo asked as he followed.

"It is possible, but highly unlikely." Uryuu said. "Their faith is a corruption of sorts to the Order of the Allfather, a religion based around a single god. Of course, there is always a chance they added a goddess to their theism." Ichigo stops and adopts a thoughtful expression. "Let's go get something to eat. We've got time until we go back to Mistral and return to Vale."

Ichigo opens his mouth to say something, but stopped when he felt a presence. He looks over at the trees and sees Heather within the foliage. "You guys go on ahead. I need to go check something. I'll catch up." He walks away.

Lirin looked like she wanted to follow Ichigo, but Uryuu prevents her. "Don't worry about him. He'll be fine." His blue eyes stare interestingly at his partner before turning around.

Ichigo enters the forest and sees Heather waiting for him, seating on a fallen log. Ichigo sits next to her. "Thank you." Heather said.

"For what?"

"Saving me. Even though you didn't have to."

"What kind of Huntsman would I be if I had let you get killed?" Ichigo questioned. Heather gave a small giggle. "What are you gonna do now?"

"I'll be leaving." Heather answered.

"Leaving?"

"There are plans that they're going to leave the lighthouse to Mother Nature. There are too many rumors and stories around that lighthouse that people would prefer to avoid it and leave it. Now, couple that with the dangers of Morikai swamp and what happened yesterday, no one is going to take the jobs. I've been living like this thanks to Forrest."

"Really?"

"Mm-hm."

"Do you have any idea what happened to him, then?" Ichigo asked.

"Honestly, I don't know." Heather said. "He was fairly normal until about a month ago. Usually, he would talk to the statue about his day, like how you would talk to someone's grave. But then, he started talking about some goddess he heard about. And then, he talks about 'the end of our way of life as we know it'. I was starting to get scared, so I avoided him."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that." Ichigo said.

Heather gets up. "Don't be. I need to get backing."

Ichigo gets up too. "Can I ask you one more thing?" Heather looks him, waiting for him to speak. "I just want to know why were you stalking me yesterday in town and then again in the swamps."

Heather looks at like he has grown a second head. "What are you talking about? Remember what I've told you: I've never stepped foot into Yudaki. The first time I saw you, you were at my hut." Ichigo looks at her in disbelief. "I need to get going. I hope to see you again, one day." And with that being said, she walks away. So, the masked woman from before wasn't Heather? Then, who/what was she?

The cackling returned. It sounded clearer and to his horror, it sounded just like  _Ichigo himself_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Lingering Doubts


	23. Chapter 22: Lingering Doubts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo while RWBY belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth
> 
> For anybody that didn't know, I edited out team NNKS. The more I thought about it, the more I see no reason for them, really. Yuushirou may appear at some point however. So, if you want, look back on the previous chapters so that way guys seen the changes.

"Yes! Yes, prior to the Faunus Rights Revolution-more popularly known as the Faunus War-" Dr. Bartholomew Oobleck zooms up to the front of the class. "-humankind was quite, quite adamant about centralizing Faunus population in Menagerie." Oobleck points at the map of said-area with his stick, and then zooms off to the side for a sip of his coffee before appearing in front of the desk. His students zipped their heads as they try to pay attention to him. "Now! While this must feel like ancient history to many of you, it is imperative to remember that these are relatively recent events! Why, the repercussions of the uprising can still be seen to this day!" Oobleck zooms around the classroom more, sipping his coffee again before continuing to zoom around. "Now! Have any among you been subjugated or discriminated because of your Faunus heritage?"

The few Faunus (sans the 'disguised' Blake) in the room raised their hands. "Dreadful! Simply dreadful! It is this kind of ignorance that breeds violence." Oobleck takes another sip of his coffee. "I mean, I mean, just look what happened to the White Fang! Now, which one of you young scholars can tell me what many theorize to be the turning point in the third year of the War?" Weiss raises her hand. "Yes."

"The Battle at Fort Castle." She answered.

"Yes! Precisely! And, who can tell me the advantage the Faunus had over General Lagune's forces?" Unseen by their professor, Cardin flicks a paper football at a sleeping Jaune, waking him.

"Hey." Jaune complained. He nearly jumped in his seat when Oobleck suddenly appeared before him.

"Mr. Arc! Finally contributing to class! This is excellent! Excellent! What is the answer?"

Jaune went slack-jawed as he struggled to think what the question was. "Um…uh…The…answer iisss…" He sees Pyrrha mouthing something to him with her hands cupping her eyes.

'Night vision, night vision.' The redhead mouthed.

"Um, b-binoculars!" Jaune blurted out. The majority of the students in class start to laugh at the boy's blunder. The poor blonde turned bright red when he realized his folly.

"Very funny, Mr. Arc." Dr. Oobleck said, clearly unimpressed. "Mr. Winchester! Perhaps you can share your thoughts on the subject!"

"Well, I know it's easier to train an animal than a soldier." Oobleck shakes his head at the answer.

"You are not the most open-minded of individuals, are you, Cardin?" Pyrrha said.

"Got a problem with me?" Cardin asked.

"No, I don't. I have the answer: its night vision." Pyrrha said. "Many Faunus are known to have near-perfect vision in the dark." Cardin scoffed arrogantly.

"General Lagune was inexperience and made the mistake to ambush the Faunus in their sleep." Blake replied. "His army was defeated and the general was captured." She turns to Cardin. "If only he had paid attention in class, then he wouldn't have failed so spectacularly." Angrily, Cardin rises to his feet.

"Please return to your seat, Mr. Winchester." Dr. Oobleck advised. He hears Jaune snickering at Cardin's expense. "You AND Mr. Arc will stay behind after class." Jaune groans at his misfortune. "Now, moving on!"

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

The rest of JNPR waited for their leader from outside of Dr. Oobleck's lecture room. RWBY have already headed for their next class by Pyrrha's request. The rest of CRDL went off to who knows where. This has become a common occurrence. Team CRDL would go off somewhere in the school and arrive late for Dust class. Pyrrha has an inkling as to why given how Cardin acted not too long ago.

After a few minutes of waiting, Jaune emerges from the lecture room, as did Cardin as he shoves Jaune down on his way out. He scoffs as he walks off. "Ow…" Jaune groaned. He returns to his feet with the help of the Spartan.

"Are you all right, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yeah…" Jaune said softly.

"Is there anything we can do for you?" Ren asked. "About Cardin?"

"Ooh, ooh! We can break his legs!" Nora suggested with glee, her arm raised in the air.

"Nora…" Ren chided.

"N-no! You don't need to do that." Jaune said. "Guys, I'm fine. Really! Now, let's hurry so we won't be late for our next class." Pyrrha and Ren look at each other with concerned glances before looking back at their leader.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Good morning, everyone!" Professor Selena O'Hare greeted with a cheer. "Let's start off today with a question: How do we combine Dust?" Weiss raises her hand. "Yes?"

"By melting the Dust in a boiling aqueous solution." She answered.

"That is correct, Ms. Schnee." Prof. O'Hare praised. "And that is what we are going to do today. Inside your work tables are beakers, the needed solution, a Bunsen burner, and some Fire and Ice Dust so we can make Thermal Dust." The door opened as team CRDL enters the room. "Ah. Thank you for finally attending, Mr. Winchester, Mr. Thrush, Mr. Bronzewing, and Mr. Lark. Because this is the tenth time you four arrived late for class, you will have to write an essay on the Michael Schulz's  _Art of Nature's Wrath_. In addition to the other essays you four have yet finished."

"Whatever." Cardin dismissed rudely. His team snickers as they make their way to their table behind JNPR.

Prof. O'Hare clears her throat. "All right. Before we continue, we need to put on our procedure masks and goggles as safety precaution." She puts them on, as did the majority of students. "Also, for anyone with long hair and/or ears, be sure to tie them behind your head." She does so too, tying a ribbon to keep her lop bunny ears in place. She notices team CRDL had not put on their masks and goggles. "Team CRDL, you need to put on your safety equipment. This can potentially be dangerous."

"We don't need them." Russel said stubbornly.

The Faunus Dust professor narrows her eyes in seriousness. "Despite having an active Aura, you could still face potential permanent damage from mishandling Dust at your current level. Many workers had lost limbs from mine explosions, some even died. Then there is the danger of developing prismatic lung disease due to inhaling an abundant amount of Dust soot, though more common in Dust miners and manufacturers. Because of it, the Schnee Dust Company and the Ishida Medical Group issued the Dust Usage Safety Act for not only the safety of workers, but student safety as well."

"Then shouldn't the Faunus be the only ones to worry about this sort of thing? Since the Dust mines is where they work best?" Cardin insinuated. Many students, including our main three teams, look at Cardin as though he grew a second head. The room grew silent, save for one student letting out a cough.

Prof. O'Hare's eye twitched slightly. "Let's move on. While team CRDL writes their essays, the rest of us will be creating Thermal Dust. Now, take out the needed equipment and place them on your work tables." After the students did so, she continues with, "Okay. Now pour the solution in the beaker until it reaches to 50 mL. When you do, put it over the Bunsen burner. Don't turn it on yet. Next, we'll chisel at least 8 grams of Fire Dust and Water Dust equally, no larger than 10. You can use the scales to weigh the pieces." She then added, "And don't hammer the pieces, lightly chisel them," When she saw Nora getting ready to smash the pieces with her hammer. "We wouldn't want to cause a small explosion. I'd recommend chipping at the corners to avoid the entire piece from detonating." Her students chisel away as Prof. O'Hare walks around the lab room to monitor their progress.

"You sure you've got this?" Pyrrha asked Jaune.

"Pfft. Don't worry. All I'm doing is cutting an itty bitty piece." He goes to hammer lightly like he should. At that moment, Cardin puts a small lizard in Jaune's shirt. The sudden feel of the reptile going down his back shocks Jaune into hammering the chisel hard, hitting the Fire Dust and caused a miniature explosion. Luckily, no one is harmed save for JNPR being covered in black stuff.

"Oh my." Prof. O'Hare said at the sight.

The other students laugh at the four. Nora even joined in the guffaw, not really caring whether they are laughing at or with them. She really thought this was funny, seeing her teammates' faces when they removed their goggles and masks, revealing perfect shapes of the brim of their protective gear. Jaune didn't think so as he heard CRDL laughing behind him.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

In Combat class, Jaune remained in his low mood as the duel between Ruby and Weiss vs two other female students went on.

"Weiss, parry left!" Ruby instructed.

"You got it!" Weiss said. She speed forward via Glyphs with her Myrtenaster poised to attack one of the opponents. She intercepts the attack by grabbing Weiss' rapier with her gloved hand. Weiss tries to get her rapier free from the grip. In her struggle, the girl's partner comes into attack, was stopped by a warning shot by Ruby. When the girl slacked her grip on Myrtenaster, Weiss used the opportunity to leap away with a Glyph. Ruby runs to her side. "What's the plan, Ruby?"

Ruby smiles at her. "Let's try Ice Flower!"

"Are you sure?" Weiss asked. Ruby nodded briskly. The heiress still seemed unsure. This is their first try on the attack. "All right."

"Yes!" Ruby cheered before aiming her Crescent Rose still in scythe form at their adversaries that are now running to them. Weiss summons Glyphs in front of the HCSS barrel. Ruby starts firing, the bullets turning into flowers made of ice upon impact. One of the girls gets frozen in place by the ice covering their feet.

"Fly!" she shouts. The other, apparently a Bat Faunus, leaps into the air remained airborne thanks to her wings and is away from the shots. She wasn't safe for long when she saw Ruby coming at her with the help of Weiss's Glyphs and slams her with Crescent Rose. She falls down and lands on her partner. A buzzer goes off.

"That's the end of the fight. The winners of this round are Ruby Rose and Weiss Schnee of team RWBY." Prof. Goodwitch announced.

Ruby jumps up in the air with a cheer. "Go team RWBY!" She leaves her arm posed for a high-five.

Weiss playfully rolled her eyes. "More like RW." She high-fived Ruby lightly, Ruby was happy all the same. After the combatants left the arena, Glynda takes the stage.

"We have just enough time for one more match for the day." She said. "For this round, it will be Cardin Winchester and Russel Thrush," The named two does a 'bro shake', "versus Jaune Arc and Lie Ren."

"Of course…" Jaune bemoaned.

"Good luck, you two." Pyrrha said.

"We'll be rootin' for ya!" Nora said.

"We will, too. Right, Blake?" Yang said. Her partner's face is currently in a book.

"Hurrah…" Blake monotoned, still reading.

Jaune and Ren make their way to the arena, Cardin and Russel already there. "Needed the encouragement from your cheerleaders, Jauney-boy?" Jaune cast his eyes to the ground at the taunt. He feels Ren placing a hand on his shoulder and a sudden calm went over him. He looks at his sole male teammate. Ren gives him a small smile of reassurance.

"Are you boys ready?" Glynda asked. Their response is readying their weapons, though Jaune's stance is still poor. "We begin in 3…2…1." Russel makes a mad dash at his opponents, being the fastest in his team. Ren uses the blades of StormFlower in an effort to block whatever attack Russel may throw at him.

Russel performs an air somersault attack at the green ninja. When the attack hits, Ren struggled to keep his hold as he is getting pushed back. Russel then swiftly kicks Ren across the arena. The ninja manages to skid to a stop before he could reach the boundary of the arena, saving him from instant disqualification. He let out of a breath he didn't know he was holding. The moment of peace was cut short when Russel came and slashed at Ren with his daggers. Ren blocks each attack with his own daggers. Russel sweeps at Ren's legs and lands a kick at his midriff. Ren lands heavily on his back, coughing from having the wind knocked out of him. Russel goes to strike down, but Ren rolls out of the way and he kicks Russel in his side, knocking him out of bounds. A buzzer goes off.

"Russel Thrush has knocked out of bounds." Glynda announced. "That means he can no longer participate in battle." Some applauds were made up in the stands, but none were as loud as Nora Valkyrie.

"Way to go, Ren! Wahoo!" the girl cheered.

"I'd say he's lucky." Yang said. She could see Ren trying to catch his breath.

"Quiet you!"

Jaune wanted to cheer for his friend, but was stopped by Cardin coming at him with his mace. Jaune uses his shield to block him. "Wanted to congratulate your boyfriend, Jaune?" A trickle of sweat drips down the blonde's face. "This is the part where you lose."

"Over my dead-OOF!" Cardin kneed Jaune in the stomach, sending him to his knees. The burnt-orange haired man lifts his mace to deliver the finishing blow. Before he did, a flurry of bullets came at him from Ren's guns. Cardin uses his mace to block the shots as he backed away. Jaune sees Ren running towards Cardin. The ninja ceased fire and starts to slash at Cardin. The larger man blocks each attack, occasionally landing a hit on Ren, and then goes to swing his mace at him. Ren blocks it with his daggers. He kicks Cardin in the stomach beneath his chestplate. Unlike what happened to Jaune, Cardin didn't fall, but he was stunned. Ren uses the opportunity to palm strike the bigger male several times.

Pulling himself together, Cardin grabs Ren's slim wrist, flips him around, and slams him on the ground. "Ren!" Jaune sprints his teammate's side and protects him from Cardin's attack with his shield. He goes to attack with his sword. Cardin uses the braces on his arm to shield himself. In a rather low blow, Cardin stomps his foot on Jaune's. Jaune shouts in pain. Seeing an opening, Cardin hits Jaune with his mace, sending him sprawling to the ground. Ren appears behind Cardin and goes to strike his palm in Cardin's back. Cardin grabs his arm again and throws him at Jaune's location and lands next to him.

Cardin laughs. "Come on. This is getting sad." The leader of CRDL starts to circle around Jaune and Ren, like a predator looking for an opening to strike their prey. The members of JNPR stood side-by-side, keeping their eyes on their opponent.

Jaune bit his lower lip. He looks at the screen displaying their current Aura levels above the arena: 20% for himself, 36% for Ren, and 63% for Cardin. According to Glynda, in a tournament like Vytal, when a combatant's Aura reaches 15% or lower, then they are out of the fight. Ren had lost a good portion of his Aura protecting Jaune. The blond cursed himself for it. He has yet gotten used to manipulating his Aura defensively and Ren is paying the price for it. There's got to be a way to win this. Jaune's Aura is too low to be any sort of use. The palm strikes would have helped, like that time when Ren and Nora face Ruby and Weiss.

That's it! Jaune remembered Nora talking about how Ren killed a King Taijitu by himself by way of channeling his Aura Pressure through his palms and caused massive damage, but with the risk of draining his Aura faster. Granted, Nora may have exaggerated a few things, however, the fact that the ninja had manage to kill the two-headed snake Grimm with his palm strikes remains true. But, Jaune is sure that such an impact would snuff Ren's Aura out far too quickly before it could take Cardin out of the fight. But then, Jaune remembered: Defeating an opponent in combat isn't the only way to win. "Ren, I've got an idea." Jaune whispers into the other's ear. Ren looks at his leader with a concerned look. "It'll be okay."

"Is this really the time for flirting?" Cardin taunted.

Nora leaps to her feet. "Hey! They are  _not_  together-together!" She stumps her foot for emphasizing. Her outburst garnered the attention of her classmates. "Not that Ren and I are…together-together. Hahaha…ha."

"Ready, Ren?" Jaune asked, his shield ready.

"I am." Ren said. At that, Jaune charges at Cardin in full speed, much to everyone's surprise.

"What in the world is he doing?" Weiss asked. "Doesn't he realize how low his Aura is?"

Cardin only chuckled at the sight. He holds his mace horizontally in front of him. Jaune runs into him at full force, shield meeting mace. Of course, it didn't knock Cardin down, but it made him tread backwards a fair bit before he managed to stop. Cardin laughs as Jaune continues to try to push him some more. Does the blonde really think he could get Cardin out of bounds like this? He sees Jaune lifting his sword to strike again. As like before, Cardin hits Jaune with his mace. The buzzer goes off; indicating Jaune is now out of the fight. One down, one to go. Almost in slow motion, Ren suddenly appears before him, his palm generating pink Aura. The palm hits Cardin's midsection, a shockwave of Aura sends Cardin flying. He didn't go far and manages to land, skidding on his feet. He shrugs it off. That didn't do much; all it did was made the pretty boy lose faster.

He sees Ren on his knees and the buzzer goes off.

"Heh." Cardin huffed, placing his mace on his shoulder. He turns to the screen to get the satisfactory of knowing that his team beat Jaune's wimpy one.

_Jaune Arc(X): 10%_

_Lie Ren: 18%_

_Cardin Winchester(X): 42%_

_Russel Thrush(X): 89%_

"That is the end of the match." Glynda announced. "The winners of this round are Jaune Arc and Lie Ren of team JNPR." People up in the stands start clapping, Nora shouting at the top at her lungs, much to the pain of her friends' eardrums. Cardin looks down in shock to see that he was outside of the arena. He glances up to see Jaune running over to Ren's side.

"Ren, are you okay?" Jaune asked. Ren nods. Cardin glowers at them.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Jaune, for once today, felt pleased with himself as he went to the lockers to put his stuff. He finally one-uped Cardin Winchester. True, it was Ren that administered the final blow, but Jaune was just happy that the plan came through, even if it meant sacrificing himself.

He was taken out of his thoughts when he was grabbed by his collar and was slammed into the lockers. After the stars faded, he came face-to-face with a fuming Cardin. "You think you're so tough now because the girly guy won the match for you?" His eyes land on Jaune's opened locker and an idea came to him, remembering what Glynda said about the lockers.

He stuff Jaune in the locker and closes it. He presses the eject button despite Jaune's protests. Cardin watches in smug amusement as the locker is launched with the poor blonde inside.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Oh, I'm happy to see you guys again!" Ruby said to team IURR. The group is sitting outside for lunch, near a small pond with water lilies. Dragonflies can be seen flying around. They've got done eating and just started chatting.

"We've only been gone for a few days. It wasn't like we were gone for a month." Renji said. Team IURR had just returned from their mission on Erika Island.

"It felt like it though." Ruby said. "Tatsuki wouldn't go easy on me and she forbad me from using Crescent Rose the whole time."

"Well, you needed the training." Rukia said. She turns to Tatsuki. "Did you make any improvements?"

"If being able to throw a sloppy left hook is improvement, then yeah. Still, she's able to dodge pretty quickly." Ruby look pleased with herself.

"You still need to practice." Uryuu said as he crochets blue yarn. "We'll think of something when your school hours are over."

"What do you think, Ichigo?" Rukia asked. Her leader didn't answer. "Ichigo?" She looks over to him. He seemed in a daze, staring off into the distance. "Ichigo!" The male snapped back into reality.

"What?"

"What's with you? You've been out of it since you guys came back." Yang said.

"Yeah. You don't even have a scowl on your face like usual." Ruby pointed out as she made a scowl-face for emphasis. Her version of a scowl consists of puffed cheeks and pursed lips and nearly cross-eyed, it just made her look more adorable.

Ichigo scowls at the sisters. "There's that scowl we all know and love," smiled Yang.

The amber-haired man rolled his eyes. "So, how was everyone else while we were gone?" he asked. He doesn't want to tell anyone about the voices in his head, which are becoming more frequent. And what makes them more unsettling is that the voices sounds like him.

"Oooh! Wait until I tell you guys this AWESOME dream I had." Nora said. "There we were, in the middle of the night."

"It was day." Ren corrected.

"We were surrounded by Ursai."

"They were Beowulves."

"Dozens of them!"

"Two of them."

"But in the end, Ren and I took them down and made a boat load of Lien selling Ursa skin rugs."

Ren sighs. "She's been having this dream for nearly a month now."

"I wonder they could mean..." Orihime pondered.

"I've read somewhere that receiving money in dreams indicates that success and prosperity is in your reach." Blake said. "Money does often represent confidence and success."

"Ooooooh." Nora said. Keigo scoffs.

"You call that a story? I can beat that." Keigo challenged.

"Oh yeah? Bring it on, then!" Nora said.

While Keigo tells a story that has something to do with a chicken, a goose, and a turkey, Ichigo notices Yang looking for something. "What are you doing, Yang?"

"Just keeping an eye out for that stupid plush toy of yours."

"You mean Kon? I haven't seen him since we came back. I wonder where he is." Rukia pondered. As if on cue, the lion plush was dropped from seemingly nowhere. His grumbling was muffled due to his face in the dirt. Landing next to him is a blue cockatiel.

"I found him loitering around the girls' locker room." The cockatiel said. "Honestly, it hasn't been an hour since we came back to Beacon you're already going about your perverted antics."

"Quiet you!" Kon shouted.

"Holy cats, a talking bird!" Ruby exclaimed, her eyes sparkling.

"It's beautiful." Weiss complimented.

"Well, thank you."

Uryuu clears his throat. "Everyone, this is Lirin. Like Kon, she is a MOD. She is an improved model compared to Kon."

"What's that supposed to mean, huh?" Kon fumed.

"Kon, you're a prototype." Renji pointed out. "Your only function is to detect Grimm."

"But I can be more useful you. I can run really fast and I can guess a woman's breast size at a glance." Kon insisted. "Big Sis, please tell them I'm useful!" Rukia punched him back to the ground before he could reach her chest again.

"Jaune? Is everything okay?" Pyrrha asked in concern. "You've been quiet too."

"Y-yeah, why?" Jaune asked, feinting confusion.

"Jaune…" Pyrrha said.

"It's just that you seemed…not okay." Ruby said.

"R-really? D-don't worry about me. I'm fine, really. See?" Jaune gives his friends an obviously fake grin and thumbs up.

"Uh-huh." Mizuiro deadpanned, not buying the façade one bit. Tatsuki's eyes narrowed at her ward. While Ruby somewhat improved, however little, Jaune had zero improvements. The video she just received of the duel from Prof. Goodwitch's class proved it. Shame, really. He has the tactical abilities, but…

"Does this have anything to do with Cardin?" Pyrrha asked. "He's been picking on you since the first day of school."

"What? Oh, no." Jaune denied. "He's just…a jokester. You know. Ha-ha."

"He's a bully." Ruby stated.

An arrogant chortle could be heard a few yards away from the group. They turn to see Cardin and his team harassing a female Faunus, pulling at her squirrel tail. It obviously hurt the girl.

"Atrocious…" Pyrrha chided.

"He's not the only one." Blake said.

"It must be hard being a Faunus." Yang said.

"Eh, sometimes." Renji said. He had his share of being ridiculed for his heritage.

"Wait, you're a Faunus?" Ruby asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Renji asked. Yang shook her head.

"No, not really. What's your trait?" She asked, intrigued. Renji gives her a big grin, showing his dog-like teeth. The bombastic blonde whistles.

"Oooh. What big teeth you have." Ruby commented.

Renji gives a half-bow. "Thanks. When I was a baby, I didn't have obvious Faunus traits, like a tail or ears. So, my parents thought I was human, since my Ma is human. Then, I started teething and, heh, well you know." Imagine his mother's painful surprise, since she breastfed him at the time.

"Ow!" the squirrel Faunus shouted.

"I told you it was real." Cardin said to his teammates.

Ichigo painfully dug his nails into his pant legs as his blood boils at the sight. As his anger grew, his 'other' voice chimes in a whisper,

_Destroy… Destroy… Destroy… Destroy…_

A low growl erupts from Ichigo's throat. Ruby notices his hunched posture, bared teeth, and… his eyes. His autumnal brown eyes started to take a golden hue in the center around the pupil and the girl could faintly see a black…something creeping from the corner of his sclera. Concerned, she places a hand on Ichigo's arm. "Are you okay?" she asked him.

Ichigo closed his eyes and shakes his head. He opens his eyes again, back to normal. "Yeah. Why?" He asked, a little confused, as though he had no idea what was happening.

"It's nothing. I was just asking." Ruby said. Maybe what she saw was all in her head.

Ichigo raised a brow at her. He looks back at the squirrel Faunus and CRDL. The former finally managed to get her tail free and runs away from the laughing jerks. Ichigo glares before he started getting to his feet. He was stopped by Uryuu grabbing his wrist.

"Don't even think about it, Kurosaki." The Quincy said. Ichigo redirects his glare to his partner; he glares back with equal ferocity. Eventually, Ichigo backs down and sits.

"Why didn't you let him go?" Blake questioned.

"Because violence isn't going to solve anything. It will only make things worse." Uryuu reasoned.

"Worse for whom?" Blake retorted. Uryuu looks at her pointedly at her response. Blake realizes her mistake. "…S-sorry." Yang looks at her partner curiously. Uryuu stared at her for a bit before turning his attention to Ichigo. He eyed him intently.

"Jaune, if you need help, all you have to do is ask." Pyrrha said.

"I still say we should break his legs." Nora said.

"Well, it's…effective." Rukia said, not sure what else to say.

"Guys, it's fine." Jaune said. "Besides, you guys saw it. Cardin's not just a jerk to me. He treats everyone else the same way too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Yellow Belly (June 29 or 30)


	24. Chapter 23: Yellow Belly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo while RWBY belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth

Jaune landed on his butt after Tatsuki punched his shield. The kinetic energy behind it sent Jaune flying. He lets out a cough. Tatsuki sauntered over to him, looking less impressed with each step. "You are leaving a lot to be desired, Jaune. We've been at this for weeks and you still haven't improved. Your melee attacks are child's play and your hand-to-hand makes Ruby look like a pro. You are now being distracted."

"I-I know, I know!" Jaune said, sitting up. "I just…I just have a lot in my mind. Cardin, school, and…other things."

Tatsuki glances over to the other members of JNPR, currently occupied by her teammates. "You mean like how you faked your way into Beacon?" She questioned.

Jaune paled in shock before flashing Tatsuki a nervous grin. "Wh-what? What are you talking about?"

"Do you think I'm stupid?" Tatsuki asked sharply. Jaune flinched at her tone. "Do you think my friends are stupid? The teachers? Our  _headmaster_?"

"N-n-n-no! I-I-I-I-I…" Jaune stuttered.

"If students like us were able to see it, then I'm sure our teachers have, let alone headmaster Ozpin." Tatsuki said. "Of course, that would pegged the question as to  _why_  they allowed you to be here. Perhaps there is potential, but you're not taking this seriously." Tatsuki sighs. She squats to be at Jaune's level. "Look, Jaune. What you are doing here is  _nothing_  compared to what's out there. And, if you keep being an encumbrance, you're gonna get your ass handed to you and you're gonna need someone to save your sorry hide. Do you want that kind of burden over your head? That you are the cause of their injuries…or worse?" Jaune didn't answer her questions. He hanged his head in silence as he mulled it over. Tatsuki straightened herself up. "We're done for the day. Think about what I just told you." She leaves.

"Jaune, are you okay?" Jaune only sighs. Pyrrha's brows knitted in worry. "I've got an idea. Come with me!" Pyrrha said. She grabs Jaune by the arm and drags him along towards somewhere.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Stupid essays…" Cardin grumbled. He just got back from some mandatory after school class with Selena O'Hare since him and his team 'had' to do that essay during the Dust project.  _Someone like O'Hare shouldn't be here teaching about Dust, she_ _should_ _be in the mines, where she belongs,_  he thought as he relaxed on the windowsill of his dorm.  _Speaking of, why do we even have these classes? Dust, science, history…They have nothing to do with fighting Grimm. Hell, I'm better than some of those losers in class, I shouldn't need to be in combat class. I should have skipped a year too. That opportunity is wasted on that red runt…_

He feels a presence above him, where the roof is. He recognizes the voices.  _Jauney-boy and that redhead know-it-all…What are they gonna do? Make out?_

"Pyrrha, I know I'm going through a hard time now, but I'm not that depressed."  _It might save people the headache,_ thought Cardin. "I could just be a farmer or something…"  _You're definitely the King of Compost._

"N-no! That's not why I brought you up here." Pyrrha said. "Jaune, I know you're having a difficult time in class and that you're still not the strongest of fighters,"  _That's an understatement_ , "so... I want to help you!"  _Sorry to break to you, but the dork is a lost cause._

"Wh-what?"

"We can train up here after class where no one can bother us!"

"You think I need help?"  _What you need is a miracle._

N-no! No, that's not what I meant."

"But you just said it."

"Jaune, everybody needs a little push from time to time. It doesn't make you any different from the rest of us. You made it to Beacon! That speaks volumes of what you're capable of!"

"You're wrong. I-I don't belong here."  _That's the statement of the century._

"That's a terrible thing to say! Of course you do!"

"No, I don't!" Jaune shouts. "I wasn't really accepted into Beacon..." _…What?_

Cardin tunes the two out as he pieced together everything that has happened over the last several weeks. His below average fighting skills, his lack of control over his Aura

"Just... leave me alone. Okay?" Jaune said.

"If that's what you think is best..." Pyrrha said softly. Cardin could sense the redhead leaving.

 _So Jauney-boy cheated his way in. This is gonna be fun…_  Cardin smirks. After what for Pyrrha to leave, he climbs up to the roof from his window. "Jaune, Jaune, Jaune…"

"C-Cardin? W-Where…?" Jaune stuttered.

"Couldn't help but hear from my dorm." Cardin told him. "I gotta say I've never pictured you as the bad boy type."

"Cardin,  _please_  don't tell anyone!" Jaune pleaded. The bully loved the look on his face. He decided to toy with him some more.

"It takes guts, I'll give you that much. It would be ashamed if you were found out and it would all have been for nothing." Cardin mused. "That is unless you do me some favors."

"F-Favors…?" Jaune questioned.

"You know: You do me favors and I don't rat you out. It's a win-win." Cardin said.

"I…I…" Jaune looked as though he wanted to protest, but could find the courage to do so.

"Good. What I need you to do now are to write that history paper Dr. Oobleck gave us for me and the Dust essays me and the boys needed to write. I'll give you more to do tomorrow." Cardin walks back over to the roof edge. "And, don't worry, Jauney-boy. Your secret is safe with me. We are  _friends_  after all."

Cardin climbs back down to his room, leaving Jaune to his regrets.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

The next day, lunch time…

"Would anyone like to try my new sponge cake recipe?" Orihime offered. She presents the cake to her friends. The golden dessert is coated with a white frosting and topped with strawberries. Yang, Ruby, and Weiss eyed the delectable cake. Orihime takes out a knife to slice a piece, revealing its layered insides of more frosting and—

"What's that red stuff? Cranberries? Cherries? More strawberries?" Ruby asked.

"Actually, it's red bean paste." Orihime revealed. Ruby's smile immediately dropped. "I thought it would make the cake a little more unique. Do you guys want some?" Ruby, Yang, and Weiss politely declined, making the excuses of 'already full' or 'watch their weight' and the like. "Oh, okay then. What about you, Ren-kun?"

"Sure." Ren takes the plate and takes a bite. Nora tries to not throw up.

Orihime beams a smile to the crystal blue sky, feeling the calm breeze flowing through her hair. "Being with friends in weather like this…Today just can't be any better."

"Hey, where is Jaune?" Ruby asked, looking around for the male blonde.

"Ichigo is not here either…" Rukia commented. Uryuu looks at her for a second before returning to his lunch.

"Huh, you're right." Yang said. "Have you guys noticed how strange he has been acting today?"

"Who, Jaune or Ichigo?" Ruby asked.

"Both, I guess. But, I was really talking about Jaune."

"Really? Like what?" Orihime asked. Tatsuki ate in silence, listening.

"Like how he hasn't talk to any of us and that he's always has his face in a book." Yang said. "Heck, he hasn't tried to flirt with Ice Queen here."

Weiss crosses her arms. "I don't see how that is an issue. And who are you calling 'Ice Queen'?"

"Ren, you're his roommate. Do you know what is going on?" Ruby asked.

Ren thought for a moment. "I don't know." And that was it.

"What about you, Pyrrha? You are his partner." Weiss said.

The Spartan's vivid green eyes looked uncertain. "…Well…" She was interrupted by a ding. Orihime pulls out her Scroll.

"Oh, it's a message from Arc-kun." She reads the message. "He wants to talk to Ishida-kun personally."

"Say what?" Yang inquired. Uryuu, having to have heard his name, looked puzzled.

"…Sure, where is he?" He asked. Everyone looks around for the missing blonde before Ruby pointed him out.

"He's over there." She informed.

Uryuu gets up from his spot and heads over to Jaune. "Be sure to ask him what's up!" Yang told him. Tatsuki continues to watch.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Jaune fidgeted as he waited for Uryuu Ishida, as a part of another 'favor' from Cardin.  _Bad idea…this is a bad idea…this is a really bad idea… this is a really, REALLY bad idea!_ , He panicked.  _Why can't I just do their essays? I really don't want to do this._

"Mr. Arc?" Jaune jumped at Uryuu's voice. He whips around to face the Quincy. "What is it that you need to talk about?"

"Uh…ah, h-hey, Uryuu." Jaune chuckles nervously. "How-how are you doing?"

Uryuu blinks once. "I'm doing well. Isn't there something you wanted to talk about?"

"Y-yeah…Um s-so…uh…" Jaune lets out a heavy sigh. "Uryuu, I am so sorry for what I am about to do."

"Okay…" Uryuu said.

"I just don't know what to do and one thing led to another and I just wanted to say I'm sorry!"

"Okay?" Uryuu said, getting confused.

Jaune started rambling. "I mean it's not really something I do, but I-I really don't have a choice in the matter."

"Um Gottes willen, what is it?" Uryuu asked. Jaune grabs him by the shoulders and pulls him in for a kiss on the lips. The action stunned Uryuu into silence, his mind trying to comprehend what is happening. Meanwhile, their friends look flabbergasted.

"Whoa mama…" Ruby commented. Blake took some pictures. Many other students in the area stopped whatever they are doing to stare.

As for team CRDL, they are laughing their heads off. "I told you he was gay." Cardin laughed.

"Which one, Jaune or the Ishida guy?" Lark asked.

"I'd say both." Russel said. The four continued with their laugh.

Jaune finally breaks away from the unresponsive Quincy. Uryuu remained silent until his face changed from shock to rage.

"Well, that was a thing." Keigo responded as he and the rest watches Uryuu chase Jaune around courtyard as the latter profusely apologize to the former.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

It was near the end of last period when Jaune hid his face in his arms, privately wallowing in his self-pity. Pyrrha moved beside him. "Jaune, can we talk?"

Jaune dared to lift his head. "About what?"

"You know what I mean. What has been going on with you today?"

"Nothing is going on. Trust me…" Pyrrha notice how her leader would glance at a certain bully cautiously. Pyrrha connected the dots on her own.

"Jaune, does Cardin know what you have told me?" Jaune's lack of response was Pyrrha's answer. "Jaune, is he blackmailing you? Is that why you've been acting strange? Why you did that to Uryuu?"

"What, Cardin? Noooo. Never. He and I are…best buds." The forced smile was almost too painful to see. "They're nothing but dares…"

"Jaune…"

"I don't want to talk about it. Leave me alone."

Pyrrha sighed to herself before turning to one of her other teammates, Ren, who is looking through a book with Ruby and Yang. "What is that?" she asked them.

"The Big Book of Grimm." Ren answered. "It's a new textbook filled with recent updates about the creatures of Grimm."

"They're so cool!" Ruby squealed. She turned a page. "Whoa, look how freaky this one is."

Pyrrha looks closer at the image. "The Nuckelavee? I think I've heard of it before."

"From what it says, it's surprisingly elusive, despite its size." Yang said. "And apparently, it's a fusion of an Imp and a Dullahan."

"A fusion? There were accounts of such a phenomena occurring." Pyrrha recounted. "I think there was one where four King Taijitu were fused together by a parasitic Grimm."

"I bet you could beat that, huh Ren? Ren?" Ruby asked. Pyrrha peers over to the green ninja. It looked as though he paled two shades lighter as he stared at the image. Pyrrha could see his hands trembling slightly and if it wasn't for the faint sound of erratic breathing, the Spartan would've thought he stopped breathing. And his eyes...His soft pink eyes are widened and glazed over in pure horror. She can feel his Aura wavering and she knew Ruby could feel it too, judging from her worried look. "Ren?"

"Ren, is everything alright?" Pyrrha asked him, her hand hovering over his shoulder, debating whether or not to touch him. Jaune sits up, visibly concerned for the slighter male.

Nora appears out of nowhere and promptly slams the book shut. "Oop, look at the time! It's almost time to get the heck out of here! Ren, please get our stuff while I put this away. Be back in a jiff~!" She zips away.

"Are you okay?" Pyrrha asked the green ninja, almost motherly.

His Adams apple bobbed as he swallowed roughly. "I'm fine..." Ren said softly.

Jaune watches as the ninja of his team silently gather his and Nora's stuff. When the blonde first met him, he was amazed how he handled himself, despite his weaknesses. The duel from yesterday proved that Ren is capable and Jaune admired the ninja. To now see him like this made Jaune realize something. Ren, and possibly Nora, lived outside the Kingdoms. If the stories he heard were true about the villages outside of the protection of the Kingdoms, then the duo must of experience some awful, scary stuff. His brows come together in worry as he watched Nora and Ren leave; the girl looks like she is worry for the ninja too. Jaune frowned sympathetically at the revelation.

Cardin, however, grins.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

The suffocation is back. That black, heavy, hazy, suffocating nothingness.  _Ichigo…_  And that damn voice is back.  _Ichigo…_ Shut up.  _Ichigo…_ Shut up.  _Ichigo…_ Shut up.  _Ichigo…_ Shut up.  _Ichigo…_ Shut up.  _Ichigo…_ Shut up! _Ichigo…_ Shut up!  _Ichigo…_ SHUT UP!

"Ichigo!" Ichigo blinks back into reality. Ichigo reminds himself of where he is. He, Uryuu, Keigo, Tatsuki, Weiss, Ruby, and Yang are at a Mistralian restaurant called  _Donabe_. They're situated in a room for big parties.

"Ichigo, are you feeling all right? You've spaced out again." Ruby asked. She has a hand on Ichigo's shoulder.

"Uh…Yeah, I'm fine." Ichigo said.

"Try telling that to your chopsticks." Yang said. Ichigo glances down at his eating utensils, now snapped in two in his right hand.

"Huh…," was all Ichigo said before he went and grabbed a spare pair from their table. All the while, Uryuu eyed him closely.

"Geez, what the heck is going on? Everyone's being weird today." Yang said as she idly tapped her plate with her own chopsticks. "First Berry Boy, now Jaune." Uryuu jabbed his chopsticks in an eggroll at the mention of the blonde's name. He places the eggroll in his plate.

"…Still mad about what Jaune did earlier?" Ruby asked.

"No, what gave you that idea?" Uryuu wondered sourly.

Keigo scoffs. "I don't see the big deal. It's not like that was your first kiss or anything. If I remember right, you got your first kiss from—" He yelps in pain from having Ichigo kicking his shin.

"It was an accident." Ichigo said. He looks at his partner, "Why are you getting all bent out of shape? I thought you're not bothered by stuff like that."

Uryuu rolls his eyes. "I'm bi, not desperate. How would you like it when someone you barely know suddenly kisses you in the lips out of the blue?" Keigo opens his mouth. "Don't answer that." Keigo closes his mouth.

"Still, it does ask the question about Jaune..." Weiss trailed off. It finally hit her. She turns to her childhood friend. "Wait, what do you mean by that?"

"By what?"

"That 'bi' thing you just said. What does that mean?"

Before Uryuu could give Weiss an answer, Keigo did for him. "It means he wouldn't care he popped a cherry to a dude or a chick." Ichigo nearly choked on his food, Tatsuki pinched the bridge of her nose, Uryuu looks ready to murder Keigo, and the girls, even Ruby, stare at the brunette with their jaws dropped. "What?"

"Shut up for once, will ya." Tatsuki said.

Uryuu pushes up his glass. "While rather uncouth, what he said is the truth. I'm attracted to both men and women.  _However_ ," He gives Keigo a look. "My 'cherry' is still intact."

"Don't tell me you're against that sort of stuff." Tatsuki said to Weiss. "Of course, I wouldn't be surprised since most Atlas elites are known for being prejudice."

Weiss cast her eyes at her food. "It is a bit…unexpected. But," She looks at Uryuu in the face. "If it's you, then I'll just have to accept it." There was a slight hesitancy in her voice that Uryuu did pick up, but he doesn't hold it against her. He smiles.

"Thank you," He said.

"Well shit, looks like you can beat the stereotype." Yang commented with a sly grin.

Weiss huffed. "What's that supposed to mean? Everyone can't help who or what they fall in love with."

"What about you, Tatsuki? Ah! You don't have to answer! I'm just curious!" Ruby said.

"It's no biggie. And to answer your question, I'm pan."

"'Pan'?"

"It means I'm cool with anything, regardless of gender." Tatsuki said.

"How is that any different from being bisexual?" Weiss asked.

"Yeah, I guess what I said was a bit too vague. What I meant is that I don't care if my significant other is male, female, transgender, genderfluid, or anything."

"Oooooh," Ruby said.

Keigo rubs his nose. "Yeah, our group is pretty diverse."

"Sooo, who made you realize that you swing both ways?" Yang asked Uryuu. "Was it guy that stole your first kiss?"

"NO!" Uryuu and Ichigo shouted. A Cheshire grin creeped on Yang's face and the two men blushed in embarrassment.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Jaune lets out a sigh as he typed the finishing touches for the last Dust essay for team CRDL. He looks at the big clock at the other side of the building. It's almost 7:00 pm and the Beacon library would be closing in less than an hour. He stretches out his arms and lends back in his chair to stare at the ceiling. He lets out a quiet sigh.  _Why am I doing this?_ , he finally asked himself.  _I faked my way here so that way I could become a warrior like my great great grandfather did. Now look at me. I'm essentially someone's lapdog._

_Maybe…It's not worth it._

"Jaune?" The sudden sound of his name startled him out of his seat. He looks up to see Ren.

"O-Oh, it's just you." Jaune said. He gets up from the floor. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see if you are ready to come to dinner." The ninja answered. He makes a sideways glance at Jaune's work, a holographic screen with Jaune's typed progress and a textbook nearby. "Do you need any help?"

The blonde boy quickly sat back down. "N-N-No! It-It's okay. I-I got this! I need to finish this, so I may not be able to be in for supper. You guys can start without me!" He briskly flips through the pages of the textbook before returning to the screen to type away. He didn't hear Ren move, the lithe male ever light on his feet. The next thing he knew, the ninja was seating across from him, staring at him through the transparent screen. Jaune's fingers slowed to a halt. "What do you want?"

"Can't I worry for a friend?" Ren asked.

" _We are friends after all."_

"…Friend," Jaune muttered.

Orihime skipped into the Beacon Library, a book held close to her chest. She paused when she was about to walk by a table. "Oh, Arc-kun and Ren-kun, what are you two doing here?" Orihime asked.

"Uh, I'm just finishing up some school work. Ren is here to keep me company." Jaune answered. He tries to not to make eye contact with Ren, knowing full well of his concern for the blonde swordsman.

"That's nice." Orihime said.

"What about you? What are you doing here?" Jaune asked.

"I'm here to return this book." Orihime said, showing them the cover. "Ta-da! Great Grandma Baba's Exotic Pastries! It's filled with yummy old Atlesian styled desserts. Like this one, the makowiec. It's a roll of sweet yeast bread filled with poppy seeds, a perfect pastry for holidays like Heaven's Day and Rejuvenate Week. It says that you could replace the poppy seeds for minced walnuts or minced chestnuts, but I think it would be more interesting to add onions and gelatin."

Jaune sweatdropped. "I see…"

"Ren-kun, will you please take this book back to the cooking section for me? I need to talk to Arc-kun for a bit." Orihime asked, handing over the book in question. Ren nods before getting up and taking the book. He then heads over to the section some ways away. The gray-eyed woman takes a seat beside Jaune. "Is everything okay?"

"Why is everyone asking me that?" Jaune snapped.

"Because everyone cares about you." Orihime answered calmly.

"Do…Do you think I have potential?" Jaune asked.

Orihime smiles at him. "Tatsuki-chan told me when she met you, your Aura wasn't activated. After Nikos-san awakened it for you, Tatsuki-chan told me that your level of Aura reminded her of someone."

"Who is it?" Jaune asked.

"Kurosaki-kun." The blonde's blue eyes grew wide. Orihime nods. "Kurosaki-kun's Aura was awakened not long after his mother died. Since then, everyone back at home knew that he had the potential to be a Huntsman. He had the tenacity, the skills, the will, and most importantly, the courage to face his fears."

"Fears? What's a guy like him afraid of?" Jaune asked. He couldn't imagine a tough guy like Ichigo Kurosaki, the Grimm Reaper of Beacon Academy, to be afraid of anything.

"He has the same fears like any of us here." Orihime said, "The fear of the unknown, the fear of death, and the fear of loss. The last one is what he dreads the most. He had lost his mother to a Grimm and his cousin lost her arm protecting him. Even now, whenever my team or anyone else he knows goes on a mission, you could practically feel his fear for our safety. In turn, he uses those fears so that way he could have the courage to fight. Not just protect us, but fight alongside us. And we'd do the same for him."

"Wow…" Jaune said.

"Just because we're here to become brave warriors, it doesn't take away the fear." Orihime said. "We fear every day. It's up to the person to know how to face those fears." Their moment was cut short when they heard a loud crash from somewhere in the library.

Jaune and Orihime jump from their seats and runs towards the source. They go around the history section and find Ren at the end, on the floor staring at something. They move closer to see that the ninja looked even paler before and looks like he trying not to have a full blown panic attack as he started to hyperventilate. "Ren, what's wrong?"

"Are you hurt?" Orihime asked, kneeling to Ren's side. The ninja clasps his hands over his head and pulled his knees closer, trying to be as small and unnoticeable as possible. Orihime and Jaune turn their heads at what Ren is terrified by. Before them is the shadow of a large Grimm with a humanoid torso stuck to the body of a horse. The Nuckelavee.

"A Grimm?" Jaune asked. "There's a Grimm here?"

"Impossible…" Orihime said. She concentrated on her Aura Sense to find the Grimm. There is no feeling of hollowness in the library. "Arc-kun, you stay here with Ren-kun and try to calm him down. I'll go have a look around."

"O-okay…" Jaune said. He kneels beside Ren, saying some words of solace, as Orihime searches. She noticed a beam of light, likely from a flashlight, from the direction she thinks the 'Grimm' would be. She walks passed a few sections before find the source on top of the shelves. She grabs a nearby ladder and climbs up. Up on the topmost shelf is a small, cardboard cutout of the Nuckelavee and a flashlight is glaring behind it. She takes the cutout and turns off the flashlight.  _Who would do such a thing?_ , Orihime wondered. She returns to her two underclassmen. Ren had seemed to calm down a little, especially since Orihime took the cutout and turned off the flashlight, the hellish silhouette is gone.

"What did you find?" Jaune asked.

"This." Orihime said, showing him the cutout. Jaune stares at the cardboard.

"That?" He wondered as he takes the cutout. He looks it over.

"Somebody probably cut this out and used it to scare Ren-kun, knowing that he would be here." Orihime responded. She fell to her knees in front of Ren. She places her hands over his shaking ones. She felt Ren tense up. This reaction reminded Orihime of Uryuu, who wasn't keen on physical touch either. She removes Ren's hands from his head and keeps them in her own hands. "Ren-kun, you are okay." She told him, firmly and calmly. "The Nuckelavee isn't here. It never was here. You are safe. You can calm down now. That's it, you're doing well. Now, breathe in and keep it for 10 seconds. 1…2…3…4…5…6…7…8…9…10. Good. Let's go again." Ren does it and as he did so, a pink sheen flows over him and his color saturated. When his color returned, Ren became calm.

"Whoa, what was that?" Jaune asked.

"Was that your Semblance?" Orihime asked. Ren nods. "From the look of things, it helped calm you down." Ren nods again. "Do you want us go with you back to your dorm?"

"…if you want," was Ren's soft reply.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

The three exited the building and made their way down the stairs. Jaune stopped his descend midway. "Arc-kun?"

"I still have some work to finish. I'll get back when I'm done." Jaune said.

Orihime smiled sympathetically. "All right. Don't be late. Come on, Ren-kun." The look Ren gave him was a concerned one. The blonde smiled a little, almost chuckled. Just a minute ago, it was Ren who needed consolation.

"Don't worry, I promise." Jaune said to Ren. The ninja still seemed hesitant, but he gave in and leaves with Orihime.

When they are gone, Jaune looks at the cardboard cutout of the Nuckelavee. Just who would do something so malicious? It was at that moment, Jaune heard some faint chortling from the side the library building. He walks down the stairs and turned around the corner. There he finds team CRDL. "Cardin? What are you guys doing here?"

"Just enjoying the show." Cardin said.

"Show? What…?" Jaune looks through the window near them. He could see the history section, where Ren saw the shadow of the fake Nuckelavee. He looks at the small cutout before looking at team CRDL in disbelief. "You guys did this…"

"Yeah, and?" Russel said.

"But why? What did Ren do to deserve this?" Jaune asked. He could feel his anger bubbling deep in his gut.

"I was just making sure he knew his place. It was a total fluke that he got me out of bounds during yesterday's duel." Cardin said. "Not surprising, since he had to go and save your sorry hide."

 _If you keep being an encumbrance, you're gonna get your ass handed to you and you're gonna need someone to save your sorry hide_ , Jaune remembered Tatsuki telling him.

"But, that still doesn't make it right."

"Heh. He's not so tough. Why is he even here if he's so scared of some stupid Grimm? What a baby."

Jaune's anger was reaching a boiling point. "You guys have no idea what he probably had gone through. Unlike us, he lived outside the Kingdoms."

"S'not our fault." Jaune clenched his fists hard, almost drawing blood. "Whoa, someone's angry. What are you gonna do? Punch me? Kick me? I like to see you try and have you be the one black and blue. By the way, I hope you're done with the Dust essays I gave you, because now I need you to go get me some rapier wasps the greenhouse."

"Rapi-Why do I have to listen to you after the stunt you pulled?" Jaune roared.

"Oh, so you don't care if I told the teachers about you faking your way in?" Cardin asked. Jaune's anger was immediately snuffed out. He had almost forgotten why he was even listening to the bastard. Seeing the change in attitude, Cardin smirked. "That's what I thought. Have a good night, Jauney-boy." He and his team walk away. Jaune is left behind, his anger no longer aiming at Cardin, but himself.

_I'm pathetic._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: In Spite of Fear


	25. Chapter 24: In Spite of Fear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo while RWBY belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth

Pyrrha gazed out the window of her and Nora's dorm solemnly. The latter is bouncing on her bed. "I wonder what's taking Jaune so long. He needs to get his butt back over here so we can have supper. We have a field trip tomorrow and we need our rest!" She flops on the matress.

"I'm sure our leader knows _exactly_ what he is doing." Pyrrha said seething. She sighs to relief her rage. "Where is Ren? Is he preparing for supper?"

"Nooooo." Nora whined. "He went to go check on Jaune at the library." Her stomach grumbles. "I'm hungry." Pyrrha couldn't help but smile.

"You two definitely have a healthy relationship." She commented.

Nora quickly sits and hugs her pillow. "What do you mean that? Are you implying that there is something between me and Ren? Because if you are, I'll just say no. And even if you aren't I'll still say no because Ren and I are only together, NOT together-together." She rambled.

"Nonononono, that's not what I've meant." Pyrrha chuckled. "I'm just saying that I am happy to see that you have someone to have your at most trust. I only wish that Jaune could trust me like that."

They hear a knock from their open door. "Have you two eaten yet?" Orihime asked.

"Oh, no, we haven't, why?" Pyrrha asked.

"I'm about to cook in Ren-kun's place."

"Why? Is something wrong?" Pyrrha asked. Orihime informed them over what happened in the library.

"What a cruel prank…" Pyrrha responded. "Where is he?"

"He's in his room." Orihime answered. Before she said anything else, Nora went past her to the closed room. She knocks on the door.

"Ren? It's me, Nora. Please, let me in." She pleaded. She sees a slip of paper sliding through the bottom of the door. She reaches for it and reads it.

' _Don't worry'_ it said.

"Ren! Please open the door!" Nora pleaded again. No answer. The girl's eyes shined in worry.

"Does…this happen often?" Pyrrha asked cautiously.

"…Whenever Ren is reminded of _that_ night, he…closes himself off." Nora told her. "No matter what we do, he just won't open up."

"'We'?" Pyrrha asked.

"Me and my foster father."

"Is there anything we can do?" Orihime asked. Nora shakes her head.

"Normally, he'll go back to normal by tomorrow, so we'll just have to wait." The tone of her voice was obvious. She still wants to help Ren in some way.

"If you say so…" Pyrrha said. She smiled mirthlessly. "I guess we do our fair share of problems."

"Are you talking about Arc-kun?" Orihime asked. Pyrrha nods.

Nora sighs. "And I thought women were the ones who avoided confrontation." Pyrrha and Orihime gave her a look.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

From the entrance hallway, Jaune overheard everything. After 'confronting' Cardin, Jaune rushed back in the library to finish up, went to the greenhouse to retrieve the wasps, and hurried back to the dorms. When he arrived, he dreaded running into Pyrrha, but he wanted to check on Ren. However, from the look of things, that's not happening. In silence, Jaune watched Nora, Pyrrha, and Orihime go to the kitchen.

"Hey Jaune." Ruby greeted from behind the blonde, causing him to gasp in surprise. "Oh, sorry. It was a reflex. So, where have you been? I've haven't seen much of you today."

"Ruby, I…I…" Jaune sighs in defeat. "I've messed up. I've really messed up and I don't know how to fix it."

"Does it have anything to do with Cardin?" Ruby asked.

"Cardin, the fact I faked my in into this school, EVERYTHING!" Jaune exclaimed. No harm telling one more person, he's screwed either way and at his wit's end. "I don't belong here." He leans on the nearest wall and slides to the floor. "I'm a failure."

"Nope."

"Nope?"

"That's right. Nope. How can you be a failure after everything that happened?" Ruby said. "And for the record, I'm happy to now know the answer to my questions about your unawaken Aura when we first met."

"De-Ah…waitwaitwaitwaitwait. You could tell?" Jaune asked.

"Jaune, anyone with a pretty good Aura Sense could tell." Ruby told him.

"Oh…" Jaune remembers Tatsuki saying something like that yesterday. Just how many people really knew?

"But, I digress," Ruby said, taking a seat next to Jaune. "Jaune, you and I are leaders now. We're not allowed to be failures. Know why?"

"Uh…"

"It's because we have teams now. If we fail, then we'd just be dragging them down with us." Ruby giggles sheepishly. "Well, that's what Coco told me." Ruby gets up to leave.

"Wait." Jaune said, halting the girl. "You…don't think badly of me for cheating?"

Ruby gives him a smirk and a knowing glance. "You've been in this school for two months and, like I said, anyone with a good Aura Sense could tell at a glance." She pokes at her head before walking away.

Jaune sat there for a good while, mulling over everything said to him.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

_The next day, near the end of second period…_

"Mr. Kurosaki?" Professor Mellea Peach's voice called out through the haze in Ichigo's mind. "Mr. Kurosaki…" A hard shove to his side brought him back to reality. He glares at the culprit, Rukia.

"S-sorry, Peach…" Ichigo apologized, still feeling off. He notices everyone in the lecture hall starring at him.

Peach flips a long strand of blonde curly hair over her shoulder and places her hands on her hips. "My goodness, Mr. Kurosaki, where is your head lately? You didn't even attend the botany meeting yesterday."

"His head has probably been doing… _other_ things." One male student said with a sly grin. Some laughter followed. Peach's face turns red.

"Oh, you are all practically adults now. Act like it!" She scolded her students, which only made them laugh harder.

Rukia, Renji, and Uryuu look at their leader with worry. As for Ichigo, the voice in his head joined in the guffaw, though more maliciously and it was giving him a headache. The corners of his lips started to twitch as he struggled not to grin.

The bell rings and Prof. Peach huffs, "All right, get your butts to your next class. Teams IURR and TAIM, stay behind for a moment. I have a job for you guys." The two teams make their way to the professor.

"What'dya need, teach?" Tatsuki asked.

"I need all of you to look for something for me."

"Don't you have a freshman class getting tree sap from Forever Fall?" Renji asked.

"Yes, but this is different." Prof. Peach said. "I was in my greenhouse this morning and I noticed that some of my _vespula gladius_ is missing."

"Rapier wasps…Um, if you don't mind me asking, why do you have such dangerous insects, Peach-sensei?" Orihime asked.

"They're an integral part in my environmental survey for my freshman classes, which is the reason for their trip to Forever Fall Forest to gather tree sap." She takes out three smokers from the supply cabinet. "Here are some smokers to gas the wasps to calm them."

"Gas?" Keigo wondered.

"She means the smoke from the wood pellets, _not_ gas from…down there." Uryuu explained.

"…I knew that."

"Here is a container to store them when they have calmed. I've already sent a message to Dr. Oobleck about this, so don't worry about being marked late." Prof. Peach informed them. "I'd recommend going to Forever Fall first, since that's where the _vespula gladius_ species inhabited. Happy hunting~"

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"I swear, sometimes I think our teachers are secretly a bunch of psychos." Keigo commented.

"You do realize that we've faced things far worse than this, right?" Tatsuki pointed out.

"But, shouldn't they have asked—I don't know—some custodian to do this?" Keigo asked.

Mizuiro thought for a moment. "You're right." He hands Keigo a smoker. "Have fun, Mr. Asano."

The brunette smacks his friend's hand. "Stop that! And quit it with the honorifics!" He pouts at his friends laughing at his expense. The only ones not laughing is Ichigo, along with Rukia who occasionally casts worry glances at him.

Uryuu, who is a few steps behind, eyes Ichigo closely.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Have a good day and please be careful on your field trip today!" Prof. O'Hare said to her leaving students. A pack of papers were thrown onto her desk. Cardin smirked smugly at her before leaving with his team. O'Hare raised a suspicious brow at them before taking the papers and tidying them. "Mr. Arc," Jaune paused at the door. "Please stay for a moment." The blonde heard Cardin and his goons snicker at him. He makes his way to the professor's desk.

"Yes ma'am?"

"Are you having any trouble?" the professor asked.

"What do you mean?" Jaune asked.

"Like are you having any bully trouble?"

"…How?" Jaune muttered. The Faunus woman smiled empathically.

"I could tell when someone is getting bullied. All thanks to experience." She referred to her long, lop ears. "I've noticed that you've been docile around your teammates and that you've been spending more time with team CRDL. Also, learning of CRDL's absolute reluctance to do the assigned essays given to them as punishment for being late, I find it hard to believe that they've finished them in the span of a day. In addition, you're behind in a lot of your schoolwork and yet I've spotted you at the library, on the computer with the _Art of Nature's Wrath_ , while I was assisting another student."

"…I…"

"You don't have to answer if you feel that could resolve the issue on your own." Prof. O'Hare told him. "I only want to say is that if you need help, don't be afraid to ask a teacher. That's what I did when I was a student and I had the help of my teammate as well. You may be a team leader, Mr. Arc, but you are still one of my students. You don't have to shoulder a burden on your own. Now, is there anything I can do for you?"

After a few moments of debating in his head, Jaune declines. "No thank you, professor. I…want to do this on my own."

"Okay." Prof. O'Hare smiled. "Have a safe day, Mr. Arc."

"I will." Jaune said. He goes to leave, but turns and says, "And thank you."

"You're welcome, Mr. Arc."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"It's so pretty…" Ruby gushed. And she's not wrong. Everyone else couldn't help but agree with her. The lush red forest of maple trees, the equally scarlet grass, and a crystal clear stream is nearby. The scene is just breathtaking.

"You'd definitely fit nicely here." Yang said to Pyrrha.

"What do you mean?" She asked curiously.

"Come on, look at you. You look like you just came out a Forever Fall painting."

"I do?"

"Oh, quit being so modest!" Nora throws her arm around Pyrrha's shoulders as she glomped her. Some of the other students agreed with Yang's assumption. Cardin, on the other hand, scoffed at the sight.

"Yeah, sure. Stroke the 'Invincible Girl's' ego, why don't you." He said, his tone nothing less than sarcastic. Jaune secretly glared at him. All the times he has known her, Pyrrha she had been sweet, kind, generous, patient, and trusting…And Jaune had betrayed that trust.

"Yes, Forever Fall Forest is indeed beautiful, but we are not here to sightsee." Glynda said. "Prof. Peach has requested you all to gather sap from the trees here and I'm here to make sure that none of you die while doing so." She takes out a glass jar. "You'll be collecting the sap into these jars, but beware. There are Creatures of Grimm here, so stay by your teammates."

Cardin grabs Jaune by the hood and drags him. "Let's get this stupid nature walk over with." His blonde captive casts a fleeting glance at Pyrrha, whose vivid green eyes glanced back. Reminded of his current predicament, he breaks eye contact.

Pyrrha sighed softly. She shakes her so she can focus on the task at hand. "Ren, are you feeling okay today? Are you sure you're well enough?" She couldn't help but ask the green ninja, being the natural born worrier she is.

"Yes, I am." Ren said with a small smile.

"Well, I hope so. When Orihime volunteered to cook dinner for us last night, I thought she was going to make one of those weird recipes of hers. But, it turned out nicely." Nora said. "…Not gonna take that chance again, though." Pyrrha giggles at her.

"All right, let's get to work, you two." Pyrrha said to them. Nora cheers in agreement while Ren nods. Pyrrha tries her best not to think about her wayward leader.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Here waspie, waspie, waspie…Here waspie, waspie, waspie…" Keigo coaxed to any rapier wasp nearby.

"'Waspie'?" Uryuu inquired.

"Hey, it's either that or this story is gonna borderline near the 'M' rating." Keigo retorted. The comment left Uryuu mildly confused.

"Any luck, guys?" Rukia asked.

"Nada. But, what can you expect? Last I checked, rapier wasps are as red as this forest." Renji said. "It's like finding a needle in a hay stack."

"I think a more fitting comparison would be trying to find the _Brookesia micra_." Uryuu insisted.

"The what?"

The Quincy adjusted his glasses. "The _Brookesia micra_ , it is the smallest known species of chameleon. So small that one can fit nicely on the tip of your finger. I think they were discovered on an island off the coast of Menagerie by Franklin Claw—"

"Dude, we're looking for wasps, not pygmy chameleons." Keigo dismissed.

"I am aware of that." Uryuu told him. "And those are two different species."

"Whatever, man."

Orihime pushes away red leaves in her search when she spots a familiar face. "Isn't that Arc-kun?" Tatsuki heard her and saunters over. She sees the blonde man with team CRDL, gathering tree sap for them.

Tatsuki shakes her head at the sight. "At the end of the day, I'm sending him home."

Orihime gasped. "But…Tatsuki-chan—"

"He doesn't belong here, Orihime. He hasn't been showing up for training sessions and he's miles behind on his school work. I gave him a chance to prove me otherwise and he failed. Believe me; I want to give him another chance, but…"

"Tatsuki-chan…" The buxom girl notices the five boys going off somewhere. She takes her leader by the wrist and follows them.

"Orihime, what are you—?"

"We'll be back!" Orihime called out to the others.

"Yeah…uh, there's somewhere I gotta be, so I'll just be on my—" Keigo tried to sneak away but was caught by Renji.

"Nice try." The crimson-haired, dog Faunus said.

Ichigo watched the whole thing unfold from where he is until he felt something on his neck. By reflex, Ichigo smacks his hand on his neck. He pulled his hand away to see what it was. It wasn't a mosquito, but it was a lone rapier wasp, its red body in pieces.

And its 1 inch stinger is embedded deep in his palm.

Rapier wasp stings, like any other needle-like barb, _hurts_. Like many other stingers, rapier wasp stingers contain neurotoxin and are extraordinarily painful. And yet…

Ichigo doesn't feel a thing.

Or rather, he can feel the barb in his flesh, but there is no pain. He had been stung many times before throughout his life and he recalls pain they bring. Even pulling out the stinger didn't produce an aching sensation. What the heck is going on? Why is this happening? Taking in a shuddered breath, Ichigo trudges off to parts unknown, the others none the wiser. Except for Uryuu Ishida.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Jaune and team CRDL army-crawled their way to the ledge overlooking their classmates. "Um, Cardin, what exactly are we doing?" Jaune asked.

"Payback." Cardin answered, glaring at a certain someone. Jaune realizes who it is.

"Pyrrha…?" Jaune questioned. "What are you…?"

"That redhead know-it-all who thinks she's Ms. Perfect just because she's some tournament-winning hotshot." Cardin takes out a glass jar containing at least a dozen or so of rapier wasps. "Jauney-boy here managed to snag some rapier wasps from Peach's greenhouse and according to her, these nasty guys loves anything sweet and sugary, like the sap from these trees." There was malicious glint in his eyes. "So, we'll teach the so-called 'Invincible Girl' a thing or two." All five men stand to their feet. At this moment, Orihime and Tatsuki arrived, but kept their distance as to not be seen and detected. Cardin shoves a jar of sap into Jaune's hands. "And you're gonna do it."

"Do…what?"

"Hit her with the sap."

Orihime gasped and Tatsuki gritted her teeth in anger. Jaune's eyes widened. "Wh-What?"

"Are you deaf? I said you are gonna hit Pyrrha Nikos with the sap. Or, I'll have a chat with Goodwitch and you'll be on the first airship out of Beacon." Cardin threatened. "So, what's it gonna be?" Cardin smugly crossed his arms. Jaune stares at the jar in his hands, contemplating. In Cardin's satisfaction, Jaune turns around and lifts up the jar.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

_Don't you dare do it, Jaune Arc. Don't you fucking dare!_ , Tatsuki warned, _Do it and I'll lose all respect for you. I'll also give you and Cardin one hell of a pummeling._

Orihime has her hands clasped together. Jaune can't do it. He won't do it. Would he? No. She has to have faith in Jaune, faith that he would do the right thing. "Arc-kun, please…" She whispered in prayer.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Is he going to this? Is he _really_ going to do this? If he does this he'd be no better than Cardin. The guy who blackmailed him to do his and his team's schoolwork for them, the guy who made him stay distant from his teammates, the guy who made Ren go into a panic attack, and now is the guy who wants to make Jaune do actual physical harm to someone who once believed in him.

_Do you want that kind of burden over your head? That you are the cause of their injuries…or worse?_

Jaune closes his eyes. "No…"

"What did you say?" Cardin asked.

"I said, 'No'!" Jaune repeated, throwing the jar at Cardin instead.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

A smile formed on Tatsuki's face. He did it. He stood his ground. He refused to be someone else's pawn.

"Tatsuki-chan, where are you going? Shouldn't we help him?" Orihime asked as she watched Jaune being dragged away by Cardin, who now sports sap all over his chestplate.

"Nah, he'll be fine." Tatsuki said before continuing her walk back to the others.

Orihime looks back to where Jaune and Cardin and the rest of CRDL were and notices a jar. She jogs to the item and notices its contents. "Oh, it's the missing rapier wasps." She identified. She picks up the concealed jar. "Don't worry little fellas. You'll be home soon." She hears the low growl of an Ursa Major. She holds the jar close to her chest and looks at the direction Jaune was taken to. A part of her wants to go and help, but another told her that he would be fine. Taking the latter part, she smiles and skips away, happy to know that things are going to be better now.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Hmmm…Now, this is a particular turn." Ozpin said. He is seating at his desk in his office. At his rightside stood Sgt. Rangers, Dr. Oobleck, and Prof. Goodwitch and to his left are Prof. Port, Prof. O'Hare, and Prof. Peach. Seating in a chair in front of Ozpin's desk is a guilty looking Jaune Arc. "Jaune, can you tell us how you got into Beacon?"

Jaune takes in a breath. "I got a forged transcript from some guy."

"And what does this person look like?" Ozpin asked. He had the faintest of smiles.

"Um, I think he wore a big green coat, a green and white striped hat, and some weird looking sandals." To his surprise, Ozpin smiled. Glynda though groaned.

"Why am I not surprised…" She muttered.

"I-I am sorry for deceiving you, sir. To all of you." Jaune apologized. "I was so desperate to prove my worth that I failed to see what my actions could cause. My mentor even warned me and I didn't listen to her, or my teammates. I won't complain and I won't be mad at anyone but myself if I get expelled."

"Jaune, you have made some mistakes, but you were able to have the courage to face those mistakes by confiding to us and telling the truth. Not only that, you do possess a natural gift to lead your teammates into battle, using their and your own strengths and weaknesses to progress. We've come together and believe that expulsion would only rob us of such raw potential, waiting to be harnessed." Jaune stares at his teachers in disbelief. "Still, you need to be punished in some way." Ozpin said. He leans back in his chair. He motions to Peach. "Mellea, since he stole from your greenhouse, what do you propose?"

The science professor crossed her arms as she pondered. She settled on one idea. "He will assist me in greenhouse maintenance for the remainder of this semester and over the summer, which includes weeding the plants, checking the ventilation system, wiring, plumbing, safety equipment, concrete deterioration, misting equipment, drippers, fertigation systems, and much more. And, you'll help inspect the _gladius vespula_ hives for anything harmful. All _five_ of them. Is that acceptable, Prof. Ozpin?"

"Yes, I believe so. And what about you, Jaune?" He asked his student.

"Y-Yes, sir! I'll do it!" Jaune accepted.

"Good. You may leave now. I'm sure you have a lot to tell your team." Ozpin said.

"Thank you." Jaune said to them genuinely. He heads to the elevator and entered. When the doors close, he lets out a breath that ne didn't know he was holding and his legs suddenly felt like jelly would of collapsed if he wasn't holding on to the railing.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Jaune returned to the dorms and is surprised to see his team waiting for him outside the entrance, seating on the stairs. "Guys?"

"I…just told Ren and Nora the truth," Pyrrha revealed. "I…I'm sorry."

Jaune shakes his head. "No. It's my fault. I should have told you guys from the very beginning and I should have said something sooner. If anything, I completely understand if you guys want to kick me out. I would have only myself to blame."

Ren was the first to speak up. "A man once said 'the fool learns from experience, the wise learns from history'."

"Ren," Jaune said. "I'm sorry for what happened at the library. I didn't know team CRDL was there and I should have ended it all there, but I didn't. I was too much of a coward." He turns to Pyrrha. "I have betrayed your trust and faith. I'll understand if you guys can't forgive me." He hung his head in shame. He waited for any sort of reaction. Then, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looks up to see Pyrrha, smiling softly.

"At least we have our leader back." She said. Jaune couldn't believe his ears. He looks over to Ren and Nora, they were smiling at him too. After everything that happened, his team still wants him to be their leader. He could almost feel tears welling up in his eyes. He doesn't deserve them.

Nora suddenly turned serious. "Pull crap like that again and I _will_ break your legs." The other three stare at her. Jaune eventually chuckled sheepishly.

"Fair enough."

Their moment was interrupted when they heard slow clapping. They turn to see Tatsuki leaning on the doorframe of the entrance. "That was quite the show." She commented, crossing her arms. She has a look that said 'prove it'.

Jaune takes a deep breath before he makes his way up the stairs to his mentor. Tatsuki pushes herself off the doorframe, her arms still crosses and expression the same. Despite towering over her by one foot, Jaune is still intimidated by the upperclassman. "Tatsuki," Jaune started, "What I did was stupid." Tatsuki raises a brow. "I thought I could handle it on my own and I thought I had some macho bravado to prove. But, I now know that I was wrong and I will show that I can do this."

"How?" Tatsuki asked the piercing question.

"I…"

"I will help him." Pyrrha said, appearing at Jaune's side. He looked her with shock. "He and I can train together, since us both can use swords and shields. I'm sorry, Tatsuki, but I don't anyone in your team has that experience."

"That's true." Tatsuki said. And it was. No one in her team specialized in swordsmanship. She looks at Jaune. "You're still gonna spare with me though, to see if you have improved from Pyrrha's help. Keep in mind, if you don't progress, I'll have no choice but to send you home. Understand?"

Jaune nodded. "I do."

Tatsuki grinned. "Good to hear. Have a good day." She leaves to return to her own dorms. She then stopped. "By the way, don't worry about team CRDL." Team JNPR was confused.

"Why?" Ren asked.

"Don't worry about it." Tatsuki smirked. She doesn't need to them that she 'assisted' Coco 'training' CRDL.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Night has fallen as Ichigo sat alone on a rock somewhere in the Emerald Forest, his head in his hands as a splitting headache becomes more painful. Creatures of Grimm have appeared, sensing Ichigo's distress, but cowered away when they felt Ichigo's released Aura Pressure. However, it there was something…different about it. It's more…like the Grimm themselves.

No longer able to keep it in, Ichigo lets out a crazed laugh. His eyes glow a sickening yellow shade at the sky.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Uryuu's typing on his Scrollbook stopped as an eerie feeling came over him. His slate blue eyes glances towards the night sky through his dorm window. A new moon was out tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: The Calm (July 13 or 14)


	26. Chapter 25: The Calm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo while RWBY belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth

_The laughter is now echoing through his dreams._

" _Ichigo…"_

_Shut up._

" _Ichigo~"_

_Shut up!_

" _Hurry and find me~"_

_SHUT UP!_

"Ichigo, wake up!" Autumnal brown eyes snap open just in time to see a fist hitting him in the eye.

"OW! The fuck is that for?!" Ichigo shouted at Renji.

"You were moaning in your sleep." The crimson-haired Faunus said.

"Was the punch even necessary?" Ichigo asked, rubbing his eye. "You could've woken me up like a normal person."

"It was the most effective way I could think of." Renji said. "Don't be a baby. Your Aura will make the pain gone in a minute."

"That doesn't make it hurt less."

"Yeah, yeah." Renji dismissed.

Surprisingly, Kon is still asleep despite the noise. "Mmmm…yes, Big Sis. I would like for you to feed me more grapes." Kon muttered in his on a pillow on the floor. Ichigo and Renji sweat dropped. No doubt Kon is having one of those dreams again.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Ichigo yawns as he and his team make their way to the Bullhead taking them to their next mission. "Had a rough night, Ichigo?" Rukia asked.

"Yeah, thanks to Renji." Ichigo said. Renji only stick a pinkie in his ear.

"Hopefully you have a reasonable amount of rest." Uryuu said. Lirin is perched on his shoulder. "Do you have Kon with you  _this time_?"

"Yes. He's in the pack napping." Ichigo said, pointing his finger at his carry-on. His mind went to his dream. That voice has been speaking through his dreams lately. He wanted to talk to his team about it, and then decided not to, not wanting to worry them.

"Is everything okay?" Rukia asked him.

Ichigo blinks at her. "Yeah, why?"

"You've been acting weird lately." Rukia said.

"You mean weirder than usual." Renji said. He grins mischievously at Ichigo's glare. Uryuu fixed his gaze at Ichigo from the corner of his eyes.

"Hey, wait up!" They heard Ruby from behind. They the girl in red running to them with her team at her heels.

"Good morning, girls." Rukia greeted, bobbing a curtsy.

"Are you guys seriously going to leave without letting us see you off?" Ruby asked.

"Um, sorry?" Ichigo said. "We had to leave early so we don't have to deal with delays."

Ruby started to twiddle her fingers. "We just didn't get a chance to see you guys off in your last mission."

Yang crosses her arms. "And didn't you guys just finish a mission like a week ago? Have a break."

"Yang, that mission to Mistral was last month." Weiss said.

Uryuu adjusted his glasses. "One mission per month is the quota for 2nd and 3rd years."

"What kind of mission is this one?" Blake asked.

"An A-Rank Village Security mission." Renji answered. "There is a village in the south of Vale having some issues with Grimm coming from Mt. Glenn. We're hired to watch the place until a professional Huntsman arrives."

"A-Rank…Isn't that reserved for 4th years?" Weiss questioned.

"Normally, yeah." Ichigo said, rubbing a hand behind his head. "But we have…special permission."

"Special?" Ruby wondered.

"It means they have an opportunity to graduate early this year." Coco said, appearing behind RWBY.

"Oh, hey, Coco." Ruby greeted. "What are you doing here?"

"Just got back from our own mission."

"What did you mean by 'graduate early'?" Yang asked.

"You guys heard all the stuff team IURR has pulled. So, our headmaster saw it fit to have them graduate early." Coco said. "Provided they pass the graduation exam first."

"Really? How come you guys never told us about that? That's so cool!" Ruby exclaimed.

The 3rd year team looks around bashfully, Ichigo and Uryuu tries to stay looking cool but the red tinted on their cheeks gave them away. Rukia blushed. "…We're not  _that_  good."

Coco chuckled. "Now that's bullshit."

Uryuu clears his throat. "Ahem…It's time that we get going. The longer we stay here, the longer the village is being tormented. Ms. Adel, please keep everything in line."

"Got it, Prez." Coco said with a mock salute.

"And as class representative, I'll assist her." Weiss said.

"You guys have fun." Coco said. "Be sure to call when you guys get back."

"Okay. See you guys later." Ichigo said. He turns around, his coat flaring behind. A memory flashes through Ruby's mind. The black coat was replaced with a white cloak as white rose petals drifted by.

"Ichigo?" Ruby spoke up. Ichigo looks over his shoulder. Ruby's brows farrowed and her eyes shined with worry, a rarity for the scythe wielder. She forced a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Come back safely." It reminded Ichigo of Yuzu, one of his younger sisters. His face softens as his scowl turned into a smile. He's nods and he and his team continue on to the Bullhead.

Yang turns to Weiss. "You do know that you aren't the only class rep."

"Oh, hush!"

Coco and team RWBY watched as the Bullhead take flight to its destination. Coco clasps her hands together. "All right, now that they are gone, let's have some fun."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"How is this fun?" Yang asked. She and the rest of RWBY are in the student council office, helping Coco and Velvet with organizing and dusting. The only one having any type of fun is Weiss.

"Don't worry. As soon as we finish, we'll have actual fun." Coco reassured.

"Actually, I do have a question." Ruby said.

"Shoot."

"How did you guys met Ichigo and his team?"

"That's the question?"

"Yeah, I wanna know too." Yang said.

Coco looks at the 1st year team, seeing that they are interested in knowing. "If that's what you girls want to hear, okay…"

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

_One year ago, a day after the initiation._

_Coco was turning around the corner when she bumped into a bright orange haired man. He wore a long, black coat, a white shirt with an orange design, black pants, and black boots. Strapped to his back is a large black sword, possibly bigger than Yatsuhachi's. "Sorry about that." The man said. Coco noticed that his eyes are a light shade of brown. He's handsome, that's for sure. Too bad Coco isn't interested in men._

" _No harm done." Coco said._

_A more slender male appeared beside the other. "You need to pay more attention to your surroundings, Kurosaki."_

' _Kurosaki' rolled his eyes at the slighter male. "Yeah, yeah. I heard it already, Ishida."_

" _Then listen." 'Ishida' is also quite the looker, and a Quincy to boot. That explains the so-called 'ethereal beauty' Quincys were said to possess. He wore clothes that would make someone think he came from the local church. Ishida looks at Coco. "My apologies."_

" _It's no problem, really." Coco said. She scanned the Quincy up and down. "Love your boots."_

_The Quincy smiled. "Thank you. If don't mind me asking, who designed your scarf?"_

" _A tailor from downtown Vale. Though, I wish he could've added something to it." The scarf itself was neatly designed with fine yarn, but Coco felt that it was missing something._

' _Ishida' gets a closer look at the cloth. "Hmmm..." He then grins and snapped his fingers. He digs into a bag he's been carrying. He pulls out a black cloth fashioned into a flower._

" _Oh boy…" Ichigo grunted._

_Coco marveled at the flower now sewn on her scarf. She lowered her sunglasses. "I like it. You have good taste." That made 'Ishida' smile with pride._

" _I swear. You should've become a seamster instead of a Huntsman." 'Kurosaki' said._

" _Excuse me? Are you mocking my talents?" 'Ishida' inquired._

" _Take a guess." Coco sweat dropped as she watched the two glare daggers at each other._

" _Honestly, you two. We've just got back from a mission and you're already arguing?" A beautiful, petite woman with black hair and purple eyes said as she walked to them. By her side is a tall, tanned man with tribal tattoos and long crimson hair._

_Realization hit Coco. "Wait a minute…A guy in black with a large black sword, a Quincy man in white, a petite woman, and a guy with tattoos and crimson hair…" A grin creeps from the corners of her lips. "You guys are team IURR."_

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Really? That's it? That's how you guys met?" Yang said, disappointed. "I was hoping for some action."

"Yang…" Weiss chastised.

Coco merely smiled. "Sorry about that. Unfortunately, not everything involved fighting."

"Can't you give us something juicier?" Yang pleaded.

"Juicier, huh…Oh, I know one." Coco said. "Sweet Velvet over here dated Ichigo once." The bunny girl dropped everything she was holding.

"Coco! Did you have to tell them that?" She asked, her face a beet red.

"What?  _You_  dated Berry Boy?" Yang asked in disbelief.

"Y-yes…I did…" Velvet answered. "Is it really that surprising?"

"Kind of." Yang said. "Berry Boy didn't seem to be the type and with that scowl, I wouldn't be surprised that he scares away any girls interested in him."

"He was intimidating at first, but…" A fond smile appeared on Velvet's face as she remembered.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

" _Hey Hops. How's it going?"_

" _Do that leg work, bunny girl!"_

" _Think you can give me a lesson on multiplication?"_

_Velvet does her best to ignore the jeers and taunts. She hoped that if she continued to ignore them, they'll lose interest. She yelps in pain when some guy grabbed one of her ears._

" _Are those things even real?" he said, giving the ear good yank._

" _Ow, that hurts! Please stop." Velvet pleaded._

"' _Please stop'!" the guy mocked._

" _Do they even work?" one of his friends questioned._

" _Let's find out." He pulls Velvet's bunny ear closer before screaming, "CAN YOU HEAR ME, FAUNUS TRASH?!" He and his friends laugh, disregarding the tears coming from the poor girl._

_Then, the guy's friends were kicked from behind. Angry, they turn to the perpetrator. Their anger turned to fear. "I-Ichigo Kurosaki?" If looks could kill, then the bullies could have drop dead from the sight of Ichigo's heated glare._

" _And what in hell's name do you shitheads think you're doing?" He hissed._

" _N-n-n-nothing!"_

" _Then let go of her, idiot!"_

" _R-right!" The punk did what he is told and relinquished his grip on Velvet's ear. She backed away a little. She has seen the Grimm Reaper of Beacon from afar, noting his near-permanent scowl and gruff attitude. He was really a scary person. Seeing him now further emphasized it._

" _Now, get the hell out of my sight!" He stumped the ground, enticing more fear into the punks. They runaway in fear and Velvet wasn't sure if she should do the same. "Hey," She squealed a little. She timidly turned to Ichigo. "Is your ear okay?"_

" _What?"_

" _Is your ear okay?" Ichigo asked again, his tone gentle. Velvet's eyes widened a little._

" _It's a little sore, but other than that, it's fine." She answered._

" _Go to the infirmary to have it checked. The guy screamed in it point blank after all." That's when Velvet finally noticed the ringing in her ear._

_She winced. "Yeah, I guess you're right." Ichigo turns to leave. "Um…" He stopped and looked at her. "…thank you." Wordlessly, Ichigo turns back around and leaves._

_But Velvet did see his ears turning red. She smiled._

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Velvet smiled fondly. "…It was nice."

"'Was'? You two aren't dating anymore?" Ruby asked.

Velvet's rabbit ears drooped. "…No. We're not. We've only seen each other for only 4 months. But, before anyone says anything, it's not Ichigo's fault. Believe me. Coco would have done something about it if that was the case."

"She's not wrong." Coco said.

"Can you tell us what happened?" Ruby asked.

"Ichigo was just going through a tough time." Velvet answered.

"Did it have anything to do with the Bount case?" Ruby asked. Velvet looks over to Coco, who shakes her head.

"I can't answer that. That is something you need to ask Ichigo and his team." Ruby was afraid of that being the case. She recalled how Ichigo reacted when the Bount case was mentioned way back when they first met up in Jack's Java Beans. Ruby just wanted to know what happened because she was worried.

The doors to the student council room slid opened as Yatsuhachi Daichi and Fox Alistair entered.

"Oh, hey, Yatsu, Fox. Need something?" Coco asked.

"We just wanted to know what is taking you two so long." Fox said.

"And if there is anything we can do to help." Yatsuhachi added.

"Oh, yeah. We were in the middle of cleaning, but we got a bit sidetracked." Coco said.

"By what?" Fox asked.

"We were talking about team IURR with RWBY." Velvet answered.

"Team IURR…They are a formidable group." Yatsuhachi said. "I remember sparring with Ichigo…"

' _And getting in trouble with Prof. Goodwitch because of the collateral damage.'_  Fox sent via his Semblance, Telepathy. Yatsuhachi gives him look and Fox grins coyly.

A ringtone of the energetic rock song, Caffeine, played from Coco's Scroll. She coolly takes it out of the right upper pocket of her black trousers. The caller is Rukia. She answers it. "Hey, Ru, how's it hangin'? You guys back already?" Her expression turned serious. "What?...Yeah, Ruby and her team are with me. What happened? Where are you guys?...'Kay, on my way." She ends the call and starts in a sprint, the others following. They were surprised to see  _Coco Adel_  run instead of strutting her casual walks. This is must be really serious.

"Coco, what's wrong?" Yang asked with urgency. "Where are they? What happened?"

"They're going to the infirmary. They were fighting Grimm and Uryuu got hurt by one."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Looming Danger (July 20 or 21)


	27. Chapter 26: Looming Danger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo while RWBY belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth

"Thank you so much!" an old man thanked Rukia graciously as she mended his arm with gauze.

Rukia gives the man's bandaged arm a gentle pat. "Just doing my job, sir." She smiled. The old man smiled back before being escorted away by a young woman, most likely his daughter. Rukia gets to her feet and smooths out her skirt.

Pastoria is a thriving village just south outside of Vale's borders. Homes and buildings made from stable stones, neatly paved pathways, a lush farm field, and high stone walls, Pastoria is more-or-less safe from any run-of-the-mill Grimm. Unfortunately, the village is little close to the proximity of the defunct city, Mountain Glenn, where numerous ferocious Creatures of Grimm now call home. Occasionally, the Grimm from Mt. Glenn would attack the village, sometimes in hordes. Normally, the local Huntsman would take care of it, but he is currently away. So now, it is up to team IURR to watch over Pastoria until he or another professional Huntsman arrives.

Rukia looks around. She sees Renji helping with any repairs need and Uryuu is attending to other injured people, currently mending a child's broken leg. She could see Lirin flying in the air, likely watching for anything. Seeing her leader missing, she looks around the village before spotting him on top of a roof. She makes her way over via a nearby ladder. "You know, there is an old saying about fools and high places." Rukia commented.

"Tee-hee…" Ichigo said, clearly not amused. Rukia takes a seat beside him.

"Where's Kon?" She asked.

"Hell should I know?" Ichigo grunted. Rukia frowns at his sour attitude.

"Is everything okay?" She asked.

"YES!" He snapped. Seeing Rukia's shocked face at his sharp response, he backs off. "S-Sorry…"

Rukia blinks. "It's okay." The two stayed silent for a while, looking into the distance. You could almost see the Mt. Glenn ruins.

"I'm sorry." Ichigo apologized again.

"Ichigo, you've been…acting strange lately. Care to talk about it?" Rukia asked.

"I…I don't really know. It's kinda hard to explain." Ichigo said. It was a half-truth. He does know, but he just doesn't understand. He also doesn't want to tell Rukia that he has been hearing voices. Every now and again, the voice would whisper to him, but he can't really make out what it is. Sometimes, the voice would rasp laughs at his expense, like now. He pinches the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on.

"Is it…are you stressing out a little because of Prof. Ozpin's proposition? Or are you thinking about the Bount Case again?" Rukia asked.

Before Ichigo could answer her questions, Lirin flew towards them. "There's a horde of Grimm just south from here and they're coming fast." The artificial cockatiel flew off when Ichigo and Rukia got to their feet.

"You can tell me later." Rukia said.

"Right…" Ichigo said.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Team IURR make their way through the wooded area in a fast pace. Kon and Lirin had stayed behind to watch over Pastoria. "We're almost there!" Uryuu said, his eyes flashing once.

"Let's pick up the pace then!" Ichigo said. Suddenly, he hears a familiar sound. The echoing 'shoo' sound. The very sound Ichigo hears shortly before the masked woman/thing appears. He skids to a halt to look for the thing, only to see nothing.

"Ichigo, why did you stop?" Rukia asked.

"I…thought I heard something." Ichigo said.

"I didn't hear anything." Renji said.

"Was it a little high-pitched?" Uryuu asked.

"High-pitched? I don't know about that, but it was more like…wait, you heard it too?" Ichigo asked.

"Yes. Why? What do you mean by that?" Uryuu asked, eyeing Ichigo for an explanation. As the most observant of the team, it's no doubt that the Quincy had noticed Ichigo's odd behavior lately.

"Uh…" The snap of a stick saved Ichigo from explaining. The team got into position, waiting for an attack. "Do you sense anything, Ishida?"

"It's greatly suppressed, but I do sense a familiar Aura Pressure." Uryuu said.

"Can you tell who it is?" Ichigo asked. Uryuu shook his head.

"No, it's too miniscule and the person is too far away now."

Renji grunted. "Probably trying to make a getaway. Should we go after them?"

They then hear growling and readied their weapons. "I don't think we'll get the chance." Rukia said. "Stay sharp!" Three Beowulves leaped over a large rock before all were shot by Uryuu's arrows.

"Here they come!" He exclaimed, loading another arrow. Soon, the rest of the Grimm horde came. Beowulves, Ursai, Creeps, King Taijitu, Death Stalkers, and Nevermores arrived to join in the attack. An Ursa attacks Renji, but he blocks it with his shield. With said shield, Renji fires a blast of Fire Dust point blank, killing the offending Grimm. He then takes Zabimaru and made a long slash at more, perfectly bifurcating them.

The black head of a King Taijitu tries to take a bite at Rukia, who dodges the snapping jaws. She releases a powerful streak of blue fire from her hand, the Sokatsui technique, created from the Kuchiki bracer. The fire destroyed the black head. The white head swoops in retaliation. Rukia leaps away before stabbing it with Sode no Shirayuki. Ice incased the white head from the Ice Dust katana blade before shattering, the head and all. Rukia sheathes her now bladeless hilt into the scabbard. She blasts a Creep away with Shakkaho before she removes the pommel connected to the hilt. She removes an empty magazine and replaces it with one full of Ice Dust inside the hilt. There are Dust gauges on the sides of the scabbard that tell the progress of the blade reforming from the Ice Dust stored in the hilt. She replaces the pommel back before she Shakkaho'd away a Beowulf.

A flock of Nevermores where shot from the sky by a volley of Aura Arrows from Uryuu's bow, Bogen Sperling. A large Death Stalker moves to attack him from behind. Uryuu sees it and jumps away. He readies an arrow tipped with Lightning Dust and aims at the stinger. He releases it and it makes contact at the base of the stinger. An electrical surge charged through the Death Stalker, shocking it to death.

Ichigo let loose a smirk as he slashed down one Grimm after another. A very large Beowulf appeared and growled menacingly. He goes to slash at it too, but it caught the blade. Ichigo swiftly takes out Tensa to slash at the Grimm and shoots at it. The attacks didn't seem to hurt the Beowulf, only made it more agitated. "An Alpha, huh? This gonna get tricky." Ichigo smirked. This is going to be fun.

"Kurosaki, don't waste time toying with it!" Uryuu said as he shot an arrow at an adolescent Nevermore.

"Yeah, yeah. Might as well use my Semblance." Uryuu can be such a killjoy. Using his Semblance would only dampen the fun of the fight. Oh well. He willed his Aura to activate it. He fell the surge of energy flowing through him. He takes another fighting stance. "Alright, now let's—"

Then, he froze.

His muscles didn't want to move, and his joints had practically locked up. "Wh-What? What's happening?" From the deep parts of his mind, he could laughter.

"KUROSAKI!" Uryuu's shout snapped Ichigo back to reality, but it was too late. He sees incoming claw an Alpha Beowulf. He clenched his eyes he braced for the impact. However, instead of being slashed, he was pushed away by Uryuu. The claws make contact on Uryuu's side, leaving deep gashes, and sent him flying. He hits a tree before landing on the forest floor. He was motionless, knocked out cold.

 _Uh-oh_ , the voice chuckled in a mockery tone. Flashes of memories came through, memories what he didn't want to remember. Dark clouds rolling in…gunfire blazing… heavy rain falling… clashing of blades… lightning crashing and thunder booming… dying screams… innocent blood staining the ground… a young child crying…a once beautiful forest of cherry blossom trees turned into the scene of a massacre…

"Uryuu!" Rukia shouts. A big Nevermore, smaller than a Giant one but bigger than a Baby Nevermore, sees the downed Quincy and swoops in for an attack.

"Oh, shit! Ichigo!" Renji shouts out. But Ichigo didn't move, frozen in horror. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as the Nevermore goes in for the kill at his partner. He needs to move. The Nevermore is getting closer. He needs to move. Its talons are ready. He needs to move! It's practically on top of Uryuu. HE NEEDS TO MOVE, DAMN IT!

In lighting speed, someone landed a hard punch on the Nevermore, sending it flying as it evaporated away. The person was a woman. She is slender and well-endowed woman of average height. She has dark skin, golden irises, and black hair. Her hair is waist-length and kept in a ponytail with chin-length bangs framing the sides of her face. Her attire consists of a black, backless, sleeveless undershirt, an orange over-shirt with two white straps on each shoulder, a large beige sash around her waist, and black stretch pants with a pair of lightweight beige shoes. As a Cat Faunus, she has a short-haired, black tail.

"Ichigo! Snap out of it! You're in battle!" The woman shouted. Ichigo finally shakes off his stupor. He clashes his sword with the claws of the Alpha Beowulf. Meanwhile, the woman looks over Uryuu. She could see the bleeding wounds, staining the Quincy's pure white cheongsam with red. But that wasn't the woman's main focus right now. She reaches into Uryuu's pockets and pouches. Alarmed that she couldn't find what she is looking for, she turned to the other members of IURR. "Have any of you brought cleansing antipens?" She asked. Rukia reaches inside a pouch where she kept them. She paled.

"They're gone. They're all gone."

Renji checks his person. "Shit!" Ichigo checks his coat pockets. He was empty too.

The woman's golden eyes widened. She turns back to the Quincy. Despite his unconscious state, the look of pain was evident on Uryuu's face. She undone his mantle and unzipped his cheongsam from the neck to below his chest. Black tendrils started to creep to his left pectoral. "We're running out of time." She places a hand over her ear. "Bring the Bull Head over. We need to get to Beacon!"

"What about the mission?" Rukia asked. She is worried for Uryuu, but what will happened to the village if they leave?

"Don't worry. I came back with the local Huntsman, along with two more." The woman said. The Bull Head appeared above them as it lowered. The Grimm backed away a little. Three Huntsmen leaped out of the airship.

"We've got this! You lot better get going!" One of them said, shooting at the Grimm. The woman slips her arms under Uryuu's shoulders and knees, carrying him bridal style into the airship. The rest of team IURR followed behind and once they were all inside, the Bull Head flies off.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

The flight back to Beacon only took a little over 10 minutes, but it felt like hours to Team IURR. Uryuu is laying on Ichigo's coat, still unconscious and his wound bandaged up to stop the bleeding. Rukia is seating next to him, holding his hand in reassurance. The Faunus woman is situated at the front with the pilot. Renji is seating behind Rukia while Ichigo sat in the far back.

Rukia takes out her Scroll, her other hand still holding Uryuu's, and dials Coco's number. "…There's been a change of plans…Is team RWBY there?..." Rukia looks over at the Quincy's pain expression. The black tendrils have now spread to his neck. "…We were dealing with a horde of Grimm when Uryuu got hit by one. We're on our way to the infirmary now…Okay…" Rukia puts away her Scroll and returns to what she was doing. "You're going to be okay." She said to Uryuu, not sure if he could hear her or not. "We're almost back at Beacon."

Ichigo watched the whole thing from his spot, very shaken. Guilt has washed over him at his partner's state. The Faunus woman gets up from her seat and makes her way over to Ichigo. She knelt to one knee and looks at him in the eye. "What happened?"

"I…I don't know…" Ichigo said. He knew it was a lie. And the woman knows it.

"You don't know." The Faunus woman echoed. Ichigo clinched his eyes shut. The woman sighs. "It can't be helped." She rose up to leave.

"Yoruichi…" Ichigo started. "…I…"

The Faunus woman, Yoruichi, places a hand on his shoulder. She smiles sympathetically. "Uryuu isn't going to die. All I can tell you is to learn from this mistake so that way it won't happen again."

"…Yeah." The words did little to dissipate his fault. He was lucky that Yoruichi came when she did. If she hadn't, Uryuu would have been…

"We've arrived." The pilot reported.

"Alright. Renji, you carry Uryuu." Yoruichi instructed. "We're just outside of the infirmary and we have no time to lose."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Renji had just laid Uryuu down on one of the beds when teams CFVY and RWBY burst into the infirmary. They recoiled in horror at the Quincy's injury.

"No…" Weiss muttered, fearing for her childhood friend's life.

"Move out of the way, kids." The nurse, a very dark-skinned woman, ordered as she made her through. Following close behind her is Orihime. When the nurse reached the bed Uryuu is occupying, she pulls out a medical device akin to an epipen and injects it into the Quincy's upper thigh. Almost instantly, the black tendrils faded away. His pained look lessened a little. "There. Now, Orihime…"

"Right." Orihime said. She summons her Healing Shield and hovers it over Uryuu's limp form.

"Thank you, Nurse Bliss." Rukia said to the nurse.

"Just doing my job, honey." The nurse smiled. Her face turned stern. "Now, all of you, out, out, out! This is an infirmary, not a lobby." With some reluctance, everyone, sans Nurse Bliss and Orihime, leave the room.

Weiss let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness."

"What was that?" Yang asked. "That black stuff."

"This would be your first time seeing it, right?" Yoruichi said. "What typically happens when you are cut by a Grimm?"

"Uh…doesn't your Aura protect you?" Yang said.

"That's usually the case. But for Quincys, it's different." Yoruichi said. She notices Blake trying not to make eye contact with her. She smiles knowingly. "When a Grimm attacks a Quincy at close range, they could somehow break though the Aura and leave a wound. Bizarrely, black markings start to invade the body, the essence of the Grimm infecting the Quincy. It doesn't necessarily kill the Quincy while there is still Aura present, but it can put them in a situation to be killed. Their Aura would solely focus on the invading essence, like how your body fights an infection, leaving you sick. Once the Quincy's Aura runs out, the black substance attacks the body directly, slowly killing them."

"That's way Quincys prefer to only use long ranged weapons." Weiss said.

"That's right. You could say that Grimm are venomous to Quincys."

"You sure know a lot about Quincys…um…" Yang trailed off.

"It's Yoruichi." Yoruichi grinned. "Yoruichi Shihoin." Ruby lets out a huge gasp.

"The  _fastest_  Huntress alive? The Goddess of Flash?" She exclaimed. "You're awesome!"

"Well, thank you." Yoruichi said. "And I knew a lot because I was in a team with one." She notices Ichigo walking away. "And where are you going?"

Ichigo stopped but didn't turn around. "I…I'm just…I wanna be alone right now." With that, he leaves. No one made a move to stop him.

"Is…he going to be okay?" Weiss asked worriedly.

"He will. Just let him be." Yoruichi said. Ruby didn't seem convinced.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Some time later, Yang makes her way back to the infirmary. Standing outside of the door was Ichigo, who looking like he is contemplating on something. "Hey, Berry-boy! How's it…" Ichigo walks away. "…oookay." She enters the infirmary.

Weiss was there too, seating vigil by Uryuu's bed. Nurse Bliss is currently absent, tending to other students. The Schnee heiress turns to the new visitor. "Yang? What are you doing here?"

"Just wanted to see how Angelface is doing." The blonde said, standing by Weiss. She looks over at the sleeping Quincy. He's now wearing his sleepwear and his glasses are on a nearby table. "So…how is he?"

"He's still resting. Thankfully, his fever has gone down." Weiss answered. "Nurse Bliss said that he'll wake up in a little while."

"Then, why are you just seating here?"

"I want to be here when he wakes up." If Yang could take a guess, she has a feeling this wasn't the first time Weiss sat vigil next to the Quincy.

"I see…" Yang said. She reaches for her Scroll. "I want you to see something."

"What is it?" Weiss asked. Yang pulls up a photo on the Scroll and hands the device to Weiss.

"I asked my dad about Yoruichi and he sent me a photo." Yang said.

"There she is." Weiss commented. In the digital picture, the Faunus woman was standing with three other women, between a brown hair woman with glasses and a Quincy woman. Yoruichi had shorter hair in the photo.

"That's team MRSK (Murasaki), a team just a year ahead from my dad's team." Yang said. "Yoruchi Shihouin, the flippin' Goddess of Flash, attended Beacon. How cool is that?"

"Uh-huh." Weiss said. Yang failed to notice the curt undertone in Weiss' voice and the disinterest look in her eyes. The heiress took notice of something about the Quincy woman. "She looks…familiar."

"Who? Oh, that's Kanae Katagiri, I think." Yang said.

"She reminds me of someone…" Weiss said. "But who?..."

"She's my mother." Uryuu answered.

"I'm sorry, did we wake you?" Weiss asked.

Uryuu moves to sit up. "It's okay. I think the medication was wearing off."

"You okay?" Yang asked. "Should we call the nurse?"

"A little sore. But, it's fine now." Uryuu said. That and he still feels weak, but he didn't want to worry the girls.

"So, your mother was in a team?" Weiss wondered.

Uryuu goes to push up his glasses, only to notice that he isn't wearing them. "Yes, that is correct."

"I thought Quincys don't care for Huntsmen." Yang said. Uryuu, after putting on his glasses, gives her a pointed look. "…Oh."

"Part of the reason she did attend is because of Masaki."

"Masaki?" Weiss asked. Uryuu points to a woman with wavy, light-brown hair next to the other brown-haired woman with glasses. "Wow. She's gorgeous. Who is she?"

"She was adopted into my family when her parents were killed. She wanted to attend Beacon Academy, so my mother, who was a retainer, went with her."

"How come I never heard of her?" Weiss asked curiously.

"Masaki was married to a man in Mistral, Isshin Shiba, though he changed his last name to Masaki's." Uryuu said.

"What was it?" Yang asked.

"Kurosaki."

"As in  _Ichigo_  Kurosaki? She's his  _mother_?" Weiss asked.

"I guess I can see where Ichigo got his good looks from." Yang said. "Course, haven't seen his dad yet." Yang thought of something. "Wait…if Masaki was adopted into the Ishida family, that would make her your dad's sister, right?"

"Yes." Uryuu said.

"Doesn't that mean you and Ichigo are cousins?" The grin on Yang's face was evident.

"Don't remind me again." Yang chuckled at Uryuu's quick response.

"So," Yang started. "She was a Huntress, right? Was she like an inspiration for Ichigo?"

"Yes, she was. Kurosaki was inspired to become a Huntsman long before Masaki's death." Uryuu said. "According to him, she was strong, kind, and wouldn't say no to anyone who needs help. Above all, she was an amazing mother, which that could be seen by just looking at Kurosaki. She influenced his way of being a Huntsman. He'll help a person no matter the danger and will do anything to protect anybody, whether or not they are friend, foe, or even a stranger."

"Is that admiration I hear?" Yang asked.

Uryuu blushed. "N-no! I was insulting him! He's incredibly pigheaded and acts before he thinks, failing to realize the consequences of his actions!"

"Suuuuure." Yang grinned lightheartedly.

"Yang, don't aggravate him." Weiss said.

"But, it's fun."

"It's getting late, kids." Nurse Bliss said as she entered. "Visiting time is over."

Yang leaps to her feet. "Alrighty then. Have a good night, Angelface."

"I'll come by tomorrow to see you after school and training." Weiss said. She and Yang then leave the infirmary.

"Caring girls, aren't they?" Nurse Bliss commented before walking over to her computer.

Uryuu smiles to himself. "Yeah, they are."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Ichigo reminds me of Ruby." Yang said. She and Weiss are on their way back to the dorms.

"What makes you say that?" Weiss asked.

"She was toddler when our mom, Summer, passed away, so she doesn't really remember her all that well." Yang said. "But dad and I would tell Ruby stories about her, either as a Huntress fighting monsters or a mom baking awesome cookies. Summer really was like a super mom."

"Super mom, huh?" Weiss muttered, thinking about her own mother, alive and probably too drunk to even realize where Weiss is now. Weiss shook her head. "I think Ruby at least has a bit more clarity than Ichigo."

"Are  _you_  actually complimenting my sister?" Yang asked with a playful smirk.

"Oh, hush." Weiss said.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Ichigo let out shouts as he swung his giant sword. He's in the woods near Beacon, training with Zangetsu. He needs to get stronger, so an incident like today won't happened again…

"A pleasant night for swinging a sword." Yoruichi remarked.

"What do you want?" Ichigo dare asked.

"I wanted to see how my former student is doing." Yoruichi said, her tail swishing side to side.

"I'm fine!" Ichigo said with a swing of his sword.

"So you say." Yoruichi said. "I also want to tell you that Uryuu has regained consciousness."

Ichigo lowered his weapon slightly. "…That's good. Real good." It wasn't like this was the first Uryuu was poisoned by a Grimm. This was, however, the first time Uryuu was poisoned and they didn't have any cleansing antipen. What puzzled Ichigo was that they were in full stock of it, checked when got into the airship and checked when they got out of the airship.

"Oh, and Ichigo…" Yoruichi started.

Ichigo growled in frustration. "What is it now—" He turns around, only to find himself in a sudden hug by the Cat Faunus woman. Ichigo's eyes slowly widen in surprise. Before he could do or say anything, Yoruichi pulls away.

She places a hand on Ichigo's cheek, almost like a mother. "Don't let this one mistake bring you down. You are still a good leader and don't let anyone else tell you otherwise."

Ichigo struggles not to break his scowl. "What about my other mistake?" Ichigo inwardly cursed at the fragility of his voice. Yoruichi knew what he was talking about and started to stroke her thumb along Ichigo's cheekbone with motherly care.

"What happened at Sakuya Forest  _wasn't_  your fault." She said firmly. "No one could have guessed what would have happened." She removes her hand. "Get some rest. You look like you need."

"I…I will in a little bit." Ichigo said. Yoruichi turns around to leave. "And, Yoruichi?" She turns her head. Ichigo let the corners of his mouth curve up a little. "Thanks."

The Faunus woman returns a smile of her own. "Anything for my pupil." Yoruichi said. She was about go on her way when she noticed specs of red rose petals off to the side. Reminded her of an old friend, though the friend's rose petals were white. Yoruichi smirked.

"What is it?" Ichigo asked.

Yoruichi smirked knowingly. "It's nothing."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Ruby let's out a sigh of relief. It was a good thing that Yoruichi didn't say anything. So Yoruichi Shihoun was a mentor for Ichigo once? That's like Ruby and her 'uncle' Qrow! Wow, she and Ichigo seem to have a lot in common. Except in one thing…

Uryuu wasn't kidding when he said Ichigo has poor Aura sensing. While it's not uncommon for someone to have low average Aura sensing (it's the second behind just average), the honey-haired male seems to have zero sensing talent. Ruby had been tailing Ichigo for 10 minutes and he gave no indication that he felt was being watched. Now, she's watching him train with Zangetsu again. With every swing, Ichigo lets out a shout. Each swing carried Ichigo's hopes and desires. Ruby could practically sense his convictions.

She remembers back to something Yoruichi had said to her after Ichigo left in the infirmary earlier.

" _Ichigo lost his mother at a young age." Yoruichi said. "As such, he took it upon himself to try and prevent the same sadness to happen to others. Like anyone else, he too fears loss. That's why he works hard so he could have the power to help. Tragically, his efforts don't always pay off."_

To any outsider, Ichigo is this imposing figure who now carries the title of the Grimm Reaper after the first one disappeared off the face of Remnant. He lets out vibe that says 'don't bother me' pairing with his common present scowl. But to friends and family, he's friendly, caring, bashful…and hurting. Like many people on Remnant, Ichigo had been scarred in a way that could never be healed.

Ruby's eyes twinkled in sadness. This world they live in can be very cruel. No matter the person, no matter how they live their life, they're always at the mercy of the unknown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Looking for an Answer (July 27 or 28)


	28. Chapter 27: Looking for an Answer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo while RWBY belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth

" _Hello, my King..."_

_The hellish laugh Ichigo had grown accustomed to echo through the darkness. The 'my King' was new though. "Show yourself, damn it!" Ichigo demanded. The laugh only continued as it progressively became more unhinged. A red haze appeared from the darkened floor and mirrors materialized around him, reflecting Ichigo's image._

" _Catch me if you can…"_

_Where is he?_

" _Catch me if you can…"_

_Where is he?!_

" _Catch me if you can…"_

_Where the hell is he?!_

" _You better catch me…"_

_One mirror caught Ichigo's eye. It was covered in blood. He runs over to it. To his horror, he sees, "Ruby!" The girl was motionless, blood dripping from her closed eyes. Ichigo hits the mirror as hard as he can in an attempt to break it, "Ruby!" He sees another bloody mirror, "Rukia!". Another, "Renji!" And another. "Velvet!" More bloody mirrors appear each containing different people Ichigo knew. All dead. Weiss, Yang, Blake, Yoruichi, Coco, team TAIM, team IRYS, and team JNPR and even his own dad and sisters. All dead and covered in blood. The last one contained his Quincian partner. "Ishida!" Uryuu was slumped over. Ichigo's blood turned cold when he saw his Zangetsu in katana form lodge in Uryuu's stomach. Ichigo glances down at his hands. They are covered in deep crimson. In terror and despair, he hung his head low in his stained hands._

" _You better catch me…before it is…too…" Ichigo lifts his head to look into the mirror. Instead of seeing Uryuu, he sees himself, face stained as well._

"… _late."_

_The reflection's face twisted into a malevolent grin as its skin and hair turned stark white, its iris turned a sickly yellow and the sclera blacken as black veins started to spread all over its body and black flames emerged. It reminded Ichigo of the Creatures of Grimm. The 'reflection' grabs Ichigo by the throat through the mirror and the black veins started to spread around Ichigo's body. The veins reach into Ichigo's eyes and—_

Ichigo fell out of the couch of the living area with a yelp. His head lands on Kon, who, for whatever reason, was sleeping on the floor. "Ichigo, get off!" The plush muffled. The amber-haired man scrambled to his feet in a panic. "Damn it, Ichigo! I was having an amazing dream about bodacious babes in bikinis and you had to go and—" Kon ceased his rant when he noticed how pale Ichigo has gotten and the cold sweat on his face. "Ichigo, is something the matter?" His 'owner' didn't answer. Without a word, Ichigo leaves the room, Kon's words falling on deaf ears.

As he wasn't paying attention, Ichigo bumps into Uryuu. "Ishida…" The Quincy is dressed for the school day, most likely came to get breakfast ready. The two stared, eyes locked to each other, until Ichigo is reminded of the bloody vision of his partner in his dream. He breaks eye contact as a pained look took over his face and brisk past the Quincy before he could say anything.

Ichigo make his way to the men's room. Thankfully, no one was in there. He turns on one of the sinks and lets the cool water run over his clammy hands. He starts to wash his face of the cold sweat. He opens his eyes to see his reflection in the mirror in front of him. Skin clear and peach-toned, eyes white with autumnal brown irises, hair a neon orange, "Still me…" He lets out a sigh of relief.

" _Still you?"_

Ichigo gasped and looks at his reflection again. It changed. It now looks like the thing in his dream. The Grimm-like version of Ichigo.

"…Who are you…"

" _I art thou…"_

Ichigo backed away, but the image never changed.

"… _Thou art I."_

 _You are me and I am…you?_  Ichigo wondered. As if reading his mind and it very well is, the image nods. Its fanged grin is present. No…no…no..no. No. No. No no no no no nonononononono…

"NO!" Ichigo charges at the reflecting glass, his fist ready. Unconsciously using his Semblance, he punches the mirror, shattering it and cracking the wall behind it. Ichigo panted heavily due to the adrenaline pumping through his veins. He removes his fist from the glass and looks down a large piece of the mirror. He sees himself. Just himself. However, his eyes are glowing yellow, a common occurrence when he uses his Semblance, but now…

Now, he feels dread.

Ichigo places a hand to his head, feeling another headache coming on. He needs a shower. An hour-long shower. As he heads over the showers, he failed to notice someone watching him. A certain blue-eyed, bespectacled Quincy. If Ichigo had paid attention, he would have notice the dark bruises around Uryuu's neck.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Yes. Yes, yes. In order to find water, the Vacuo Voyagers wrote hieroglyphic letters at various locations throughout the Vacuan deserts. Unfortunately, many of such ancient writings were lost to the sands of time… Holding for laugh." When all he got was a few coughs from his 3rd year class, he continued, "let's move on."

Ichigo eventually tuned him out. Lately, he's having a lot going through his mind. From the nightmare from earlier to…what have been going on in the last month. The voice keeps mocking him from the back of his mind, pointing out his flaws, his shortcomings, and all his mistakes. Memories of the Bount Case came in at full force, leaving him with flashbacks and nightmares over what transpired that fateful night. Soon, the voice started to become more…malevolent.

Once, when Ichigo was dealing with a group of punks in Vale, the voice encouraged him to beat them bloody. He blacked out and the next thing he knew, he was surrounded by unconscious bodies and his fists covered in blood. He then heard police sirens. Uryuu appeared and took him away before the cops found them. And just last night, the voice made him contemplate on slitting Renji's throat in his sleep. That was the reason why Ichigo slept on the couch. Now his nightmare…

He needs to go to the library after this.

"Ichigo," Rukia, who appeared beside him, started, "we need to talk about—" Ichigo moves away before Rukia could finish what she needed to say.

Seating in front was Uryuu, who was watching closely from the corner of his eye.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

You'd have to be blind not to see anything is wrong with Ichigo and Uryuu Ishida could see it, plain as day. The taller man has been acting strange since Erika Island. He hadn't seen Ichigo act this way ever since the Bount Case.

Uryuu's eyes darkened at the memory. That mission was initially a search and rescue mission. The Mistral Council lost all contact with a Huntress and team IURR, due to their fame for finding Ashido, were chosen to locate her. It wasn't long until team IURR got wrapped up in the whole mess. Ichigo, being Ichigo, agreed to help. It all went downhill from there.

Uryuu coughed in his hand.

His throat hurts.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Ruby held a pencil between her upper lip and nose as she 'listened' to another one of Prof. Port stories. As the man spoke about a time when he fought a Boarbatusk with an axe, Ruby thinks about recent events. Most of which involving one Ichigo Kurosaki. Or lack of. Lately, the upperclassman has been absent. Not showing up for training sessions, declining offers to hang out, or just giving anyone the cold shoulder. What's going on?

The bell rings and the students hurry to get out. "Keep in mind, students: The end of semester exam is at the end of the week. Be sure to study what we have been over and—"

"Stay vigilant." The students finished.

"Oh, right. Have a good day!" Prof. Port said.

"Um, Weiss, what did we talk about today?" Ruby asked.

"Honestly? I have no idea." Weiss said. "It's probably best that we go over the  _Daemon's of the World_."

"Oh, okay. So, the library as usual?"

Weiss shook her head. "Not right now, I have a student council meeting to go to. You can go without me."

"Have a good day, Ruby~." Pyrrha said as she followed Weiss.

"You too!"

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"All right, people. Before we're done for the day, our student council Prez has something to say." Coco said to the class representatives and vice representatives. The council members are in their meeting room. The president, Uryuu, and the vice president, Coco, are standing near a blackboard. The council's historian, Velvet, is off to the side organizing. The secretary, Mizuiro, is typing on a Scrollbook. The historian, Rukia, is writing something down. The public director, Orihime, is standing near the class representatives. Each year has a class representative and vice representative. For first years, Weiss and Pyrrha has been assigned as the class representative and vice representative respectively.

Uryuu clears his throat. "Our summer vacation is about a week away. Which means the Vytal Festival is just around the corner and we should be expecting students from other schools arriving by the end of this week." He announced; his voice slight hoarse. He pushes up his glasses. "As the student council, it's our duty to make sure that this Festival goes off without a hitch. We will begin preparations tomorrow. Be ready. Meeting concluded." As everyone leave, Weiss walks up to Uryuu, who stayed behind to file papers.

"Um, Uryuu?" She started. "Do you have any plans later?"

"I have these papers that need filing." Uryuu said. He clears his throat again. "Why?"

"I wanted to ask if you would like to go into town with me." Weiss said, "Just the two of us."

"I would be happy too. Of course, I need to finish this first. Would you like to help? It would make the process faster."

"I would be delighted." Weiss said. "What do you want me to do?"

"You can help me with these papers, that way we can finish faster and go. Just file the ones I stamped alphabetically."

Weiss nods before getting to work. "Okay."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Ruby glowers at the computer screen, as if trying to conjure up what she is looking for. She had been studying over at the library, but then she got sidetracked when she overheard some students talking about a mission over in Mistral, at place called…Sakuka? Sahuha? Sashusha? It was the place where the Bount Case, a mission team IURR was on last year, took place. She wants to find answers. She feels bad for looking it up, but she was afraid to ask the aforementioned team.

"Um, excuse me?" Ruby called out to a student walking by. "Have you heard of a place in Mistral called the Saquya Forest?"

"Don't you mean the Sakuya Forest?" the student asked.

"Yes, that's the one!"

"Not much. Although, I have heard that's where the Bount Case."

"What happened?" Ruby asked.

"I don't remember, I just know that something bad happened. I think you can look it up on the computer." The student said.

"Okay. Thank you for the help." Ruby said.

"It's nothing. Have a good day."

"You too." Ruby said. After the student left, Ruby types, "'Sakuya Forest'." She presses enter and the results. One made her blood run cold. "'The Sakuya Forest Massacre'?" With some uncertainty, she clicks on the link. It was a news report by a woman named Rosa Mary of what happened in the pink forest. Before she played the video, she grabbed her red headphones and connected it to the computer via Ruetooth.

 _/Sakuya Forest was once a place of beauty in Anima, but it was changed to a battleground when the Sakura Village waged war with the Bount Group. The village had been plagued by the notorious group for almost a year until a Huntress was taken hostage by the Bounts./_ The woman said. Behind her was the ruin remains of village, surrounded by pink trees.  _/When the Huntress failed to report back to the Mistral council, Huntsman Academies Haven and Beacon sent their best student teams, IRYS and IURR. At this point, the Sakura villagers were ready to fight back, but the teams tried to persuade to pull back. Sadly, such words fell on deaf ears and the resistance group rallied up to arms. What ended was a bloodbath./_ The camera focused on rows of black body bags. _/At the end of the battle, team IRYS and IURR arrested Bount leader Jin Kariya and his cohorts, but the casualties were immense. 40 villagers, some that were children, and 20 Bount members were lost to the battle. Oh, there is team IURR!/_ The camera turns to Ichigo and his team walking away from the body bags _._  Ruby could see their mix emotions. Rukia looked like she was trying not to cry as she bit her lower lip. Renji looked defeated, no doubt over what had transpired. Uryuu looked tired, dark circles were evident under his eyes. And Ichigo…his was a wide range of emotions. Anger, sadness, regret, despair… _/Ichigo Kurosaki, can you give us a moment of your time?/_ He didn't answer. Instead, he knocked the camera out of the cameraman's grasp, causing it to fall to the ground. The video cut off from there.

Ruby placed her headphones around her neck and put a hand over her mouth. Watching that sparked a memory. She remembered seeing her dad watch the Vale News Network with Lisa Lavender telling the story. She didn't think much of it, mainly because she had her nose in a comic book.

A bright shade of orange appeared from her peripheral vision. She looks up to see a familiar face just two tables away.

"Ichigo?"

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"'People who dream about murder may be more aggressive during waking hours, a controversial new study finds. The researchers also found that people who dream of killing others tend to be hostile, introverted and often don't get along well with others when they are awake.'" Ichigo read on a website from of the Beacon library's holographic computers. He then sat in silence as he processed what he read. Yes, he is aggressive. Yes, he can be hostile towards others. Yes, he is a little bit introverted and there are times where he doesn't get along with others, mainly because they're the ones who started the fight first. But…he would never hurt his friends and family like that, right? He swore at his mother's grave to protect them, right? He would rather die than to harm or kill anyone…Right?

He picks up a notepad. On it was his writing of whatever is happening to him in the past couple of months. He looks over his more recent entries.

_07/25/0080_

_The bastard keeps taunting me in my dreams. I could dream about a nice day and the fucker would appear one way or another._

_07/26/0080_

_I snapped at Ishida. It's normally not a big deal. I think we were arguing about the legend of Mikoto. Everything went black and the next thing I knew, I was on the couch. I tried to ask Ishida, but he refused to talk. Rukia said that I had passed out and that was it._

_Why do I get the feeling that was a lie?_

_07/27/0080_

_The 'other me' called me 'King' in my nightmare and told me to 'catch' him. What the fuck does that mean?_

_I also saw everyone I love dead and that…_ I _killed them?_

_I saw the fucker again in the bathroom mirror and I wasn't daydreaming this time._

_Am I getting worse? Should I go to someone?_

Ichigo leans back wearily and closes his eyes.

"Whatcha doin'?" Ruby asked, suddenly appearing behind Ichigo.

"Geez, you sure that your Semblance  _is_  Speed and  _not_  spontaneous teleportation?" Ichigo asked.

"Yes, I'm sure. That would be cool…" Ruby said. She notices the website Ichigo is on. "Dream Interpretations? I thought you don't believe in that sort of stuff."

"What? I don't! Wh-What makes you ask me that?" Ichigo asked as he quickly closed the window and turns off the screen.

"Ichigo, is everything okay?"

Ichigo eyes darkened. "I already have Ishida and Rukia eyeballing me. I don't need anyone else to do so too." Ichigo may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but he is observant. He had noticed the looks his two teammates have been giving them. Every now and again, he'd catch them looking at him from afar.

"Can't we worry for a friend?" Ruby asked. "Hey, want to accompany me to town?"

"Why?"

Ruby shrugged. "I don't know. Just wanted the company. Yang is off doing something with Nora and Tatsuki, Blake is reading, Jaune is at the greenhouse, Ren and Pyrrha are sparring, and Weiss went to town too with Uryuu. So…wanna come?"

Ichigo hesitated. He doesn't want to risk running into Uryuu. He even went out of his way to avoid the Quincy and Rukia as much as he could today, especially after what transpired yesterday. He's even been avoiding Yoruichi, who came by for a visit after a mission. "Sure, why not?" He gets up from his chair and grabbed his notepad and stuffed it in his back pocket. He follows Ruby out of the library.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Resolve (August 3 or 4)


	29. Chapter 28: Resolve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo while RWBY belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth

Kon paces around the dorm room, pondering. "What the hell is going with Ichigo lately? He's been acting weird since Uryuu got hurt. Hell, he's been acting weird since Erika Island! He knew he should've let me go with him!" He squeezes himself through the bottom of the door and goes over to Uryuu's/Rukia's dorm room and crawls through beneath the door. Only Lirin was inside, seating on Uryuu's white comforter, reading through a magazine. She uses her beak to turn the page.

"I thought this room is off-limits to you." She said, keeping her eyes on the articles.

"Can it! I was just gonna ask if you know what's going on with Ichigo?"

"I have no idea. The only person who seems to have an inkling is Uryuu."

"Where is he?"

"He's in town with Weiss."

Kon sighs. "Well, it's better than nothing. Let's go."

"Why am I going?"

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"You did not!" Weiss laughed.

Uryuu hoarsely chuckled. "In my defense, there are not many psychoactive cacti out there and most of those species are in Menagerie. I just had the worst luck." Weiss giggled and Uryuu smiled.

Before Weiss could take a drink of her iced tea, her Scroll ranged. She sees the caller ID and frowns. She silenced it and places it back on the table she and Uryuu are seating at. Just 5 seconds later, her Scroll rang again.

"You might as well answer." Uryuu said sympathetically. "I would know."

"Your father is nothing like mine." Weiss commented. In a split second, her posture became poised as she answered. "Yes?..." Her tone became robotic, almost business-like. "I'm sorry, I was speaking with an old friend…Uryuu…Uryuu Ishida." Her cold expression changed to a perplexed one. She faltered at first, but handed her Scroll to Uryuu, to his surprise.

"Hello?" He answered politely.

/Well, if it isn't young Uryuu./ Weiss' father, Jacques Schnee, said, his tone nice. Too nice. /How long has it been, I wonder. Five, six years?/

"Seven years, Mr. Schnee." Uryuu corrected.

Jacques chuckled haughtily. /Please, call me Jacques. And I must say, I am thrilled to learn that you have taken an interest in my daughter again after all of these years./

"Well, she's a dear friend." Uryuu said, a smile shyly forms on his face. Weiss smiles too.

/Yes, yes./ Jacqcues said rather snooty. /Have you had any thoughts of marrying her?/

Uryuu blinked. "…I'm sorry, what?" Weiss looked perplex, as she couldn't hear what her father said.

/Marrying Weiss, my daughter, the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company./ Jacques said, talking as though he is selling a product. /The Schnee family and the Ishida family has been partners since after the Great War and it could be beneficial for both parties. What do you think?/

Marrying Weiss? Oh nononono. That's not going to happen. He is not going to marry his childhood friend. After a moment, Uryuu clears his throat. "While that's a tantalizing offer, Mr. Schnee, I'll have to decline. You see, I'm focusing my attention at becoming a Huntsman and I have no interest in marriage now."

To his surprise, Jacques scoffed. /Once you are married into the Schnee family, you will have no need for such a  _barbaric_  career. You will be living in fine luxury. And, when you two are wed, I'll have you be in control of the SDC, with my guidance, of course. What do you say?/ Uryuu's jaw dropped in shock. While he always prides himself as being the calmest in various situations compared to his teammates, that doesn't mean that he doesn't have a temper. It was taking all Uryuu's willpower to not mouth off the man. Jacques took the moment of silence as the youngest Ishida contemplating. He chuckled. /I'll give you time to think about it. Have a good day./ The Schnee head hangs up.

Still slack-jawed, Uryuu stares at the Scroll. "What did he say?" Weiss asked with anticipation. Wordlessly, her friend gives her back her Scroll. "Uryuu?"

Finally, the Quincy speaks. "Your father is a…piece of work." Not the first words in his mind about the man, but politeness took over.

"Uryuu, what did he say?" Weiss urged.

"He's interested in betrothing the two of us." Uryuu said, adjusting his glasses.

"Again?!" Weiss exclaimed. She scoffed in disdain.

"Again?" Uryuu echoed, befuddled.

"This isn't the first-time father had been trying to betroth you and me. When we were kids, I've overheard father speaking to your father and your grandfather about it once and after my concert before coming here, father brought it up again to Dr. Ishida at the after-party, but your father wasn't interested." Weiss said. "I knew what he's really planning. Father wants to use you so he could have free reign on any undiscovered Dust mines that may be in Fors territory." She sighs and places a hand on her forehead. "I can't believe this."

"Weiss…" Uryuu said.

"When I first heard about it, I didn't like the idea of you and me being married. Not that you'd be a terrible husband or anything, but…I've come to think you as more of a brother than anything. That and I didn't want you to be subjected to…all of  _this_." Weiss referred to herself, but Uryuu knew what she meant. She takes a deep breath. "What am I going to do?"

"I would say continue your education here and prove your worth, but that's coming from someone who was in the same situation." Uryuu said, remembering his rocky relationship with his own father.

"Uryuu, your father…Dr. Ishida, is  _nothing_  compared to my father. At least Dr. Ishida cares for his patients and would make sure that they get the medical treatment they need, regardless of class. My father, on the other hand…" Weiss trailed off. She noticed Uryuu stirring his straw in his drink thoughtfully. "Uryuu," He looks up at his name. ", is something wrong?"

"It's nothing, just…I guess a part of me still finds it hard to believe that Ryuken is such a good person." He admitted.

"That's not surprising, given what happened between the two of you two years ago." Weiss said. "Do you remember me telling you how I got my scar?" Uryuu nodded. "Dr. Ishida was the one who oversee my recovery. He actually scolded my father for it."

"What did he say?"

"I was given some heavy painkillers at the time, so it all seemed foggy to me. But, I think he something like 'a father's duty to watch over their child'." Weiss said.

Uryuu breathed a small chuckle, almost in disbelief. "It's funny." Weiss could almost hear the wavered tone in his voice. "Now, I can see Ryuken as being a parent, but at the same time, I don't…After my mother died, I guess he development a twisted form of overprotectiveness. He hated the idea of me becoming Huntsman or a Valkyrie and he would scold Grandfather for any hint of training, even though they were improving my health." Weiss nodded knowingly, as she was there. Uryuu was born weak and sickly. Throughout his childhood, he would be moved back and forth between the Kingdom of Atlas and the Realm of Fors, until he took full residence at the Atlesian Medical Center. Uryuu took interest archery after witnessing his grandfather, Soken, killing a Grimm. While Soken wanted to respect Ryuken's wishes, he thought the training would strengthen Uryuu. "It only gotten worse when grandfather was killed. What made it so twisted is that Ryuken didn't care if I hated him for rest of my life."

"That tells you that Dr. Ishida loves you, his  _son_." Weiss said. "So, what's been going on with Ichigo lately?"

"Kurosaki?" Uryuu's face turned stern, belaying any emotion. "What about him?"

"Don't play dumb with me. And don't think I haven't noticed the bruising. The make-up doesn't match your skin tone." Weiss said. Uryuu's hand instantly went to his svelte neck and has a memory of the night before. He and Ichigo was having a debate about the Mikoto of the Black Cape story. At one point, Ichigo passed out, collapsing where he stood. It unnerved Uryuu how out of the blue it was. He was about to call the nurse's office when, with no warning, Ichigo lunged at the Quincy, grabbing him by the throat. Panicked at first, Uryuu quickly calmed down as he struggled to get out of the iron grip. The sudden release of Ichigo's Aura Pressure didn't help in the matter. As someone with above average Aura Sense, Uryuu is vulnerable to strong Aura Pressures. Despite this, Uryuu managed to find the strength to lift his leg and kick Ichigo to the side, hard. He got out of the loosened grip and puts Ichigo in a choke hold until he was unconscious.

After placing Ichigo on the couch, Uryuu went to the nurse's office to see the damage. He lied to Nurse Bliss, saying that a shirt he made turned out to be too tight in the neckline. He wasn't sure if the nurse believed him or not. He got his neck examined and learned that it wasn't life-threatening, but he was going to be sore for a while. Uryuu declined having Orihime to heal him, saying that using her Semblance for something like bruises is a waste of Aura and that he should be fully healed by tomorrow. Imagine his surprise when it didn't. Rukia noticed it asked what happened. Uryuu answered with the same lie he used for Nurse Bliss. Rukia didn't look like she believed it but said nothing else except that she offered to use concealer to hide the bruising.

"It's nothing." Uryuu said. "I just made a shirt too tight." Weiss took a napkin, dabbed it in her tea, and get's up. "Wa-Wait a minute, Weiss—" Uryuu didn't fight back, as he didn't to hurt her. The girl rubbed the napkin at the side of Uryuu's throat, wiping away the make up to reveal what's underneath.

"They don't look like they were caused by a shirt." Weiss said. She would know. All the times her father would grab her by her arm when she did something he didn't like often left some bruises from his tight fingers. "What really happened?"

"…We were sparring hand-to-hand." Uryuu lied. Weiss looked him for a moment before she went to throw the napkin away and walked off with wide strides. Uryuu gets up from his seat and jogs after her. "Weiss, where are you going?"

"To give that thug a piece of my mind." Weiss said heatedly. "Sparring or not, that's too far." At least took the false story. Uryuu catches up with her and stops her by placing a firm, yet gentle hand on her shoulder.

"It was an accident." Uryuu said. And it was, sort of. When Ichigo woke up, he had no recollection over what happened. "Kurosaki may look like a thug, but he would never hurt a fly. He would rather die than to hurt any of his friends and family."

"Yet, he hurt you." Weiss said.

"We're not friends." Uryuu said. Weiss had a look that said, 'yeah right'. "Anyways, he has been stressed out lately, with the offer of early graduation in his mind as well as…"

"The Bount Case." Weiss finished.

"…Yes."

"Was it…was it really that bad?" Weiss asked. "I mean, I've heard about on the news once, but they didn't talk long about it."

"…It was bad. I don't want to go into detail about it."

"…If you say so… Come on. I have a concealer better suited for your skin tone."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

_Why am I doing this?_ , Ichigo asked himself as he following his youngest ward, passing by some shops. They have been walking around for the past 10 minutes with no destination in mind. He decided to ask. "Ruby, where exactly are we going?"

Ruby turns around, now walking backwards. She shrugged. "Nowhere, in particular."

"Nowhere? Then why are we even here?" Ichigo asked. Ruby stopped walking and Ichigo does the same.

"I…I guess I just miss hanging out with you." She said softly. Ichigo's eyes widen slightly. "You haven't been around lately. You are not there at lunch, you didn't appear during our training sessions, and you would skip dinner. By the way, Nora is still upset that you didn't get to try Ren's curry." She chuckled at the memory. She became somber again. "The girls and I, we miss our teacher and friend."

Ichigo was amazed. Ruby often comes off as being childish and immature, but deep down, she's surprisingly observant.

"Oh, Ichigo, look at this!" Ruby said.

"What is it?" Ichigo asked. Plastered to brick walls are posters of various things. One being an advertisement of the Misty Dew soft drink produced by Spearhead Enterprise. But that wasn't the poster that garnered Ruby's attention.

"'The New Weapons Gallery will be opened to the public at the Kuchiki Museum in Atlas, mid-August. Hosted by the father of Modern Weaponry, Oetsu Nimaiya!'" Ruby read with excitement. "Oooh, I wish I could meet him!"

Ichigo couldn't help but let a smile appear on his face. "You…really do like weapons."

"Do you really need to ask? They're like people, no two are alike." Ruby said. "They're also like partners, always there when you're in a jam." A twinge of guilt went through Ichigo, thinking about his teammates.

"What if you were separated from your weapon?" Ichigo asked.

"I know, I know! I'm just not really good without a weapon. There's no way I could be good in hand-to-hand like Yang." Ruby lamented.

"Yang's entire combat style is based around it. No one's sayin' that you need to be at her level." An idea sprung to life in Ichigo's head. "I got it. Come with me!"

"To where?"

"Vale Park!"

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Well, there is something up with Ichigo." Lirin said. She and Kon are perched on a branch in a tree.

"What did I tell ya?"

"Why do you care so much? From what I've seen, you two get on each other's nerves. Moreso than Ichigo is with Uryuu, and that says something." Lirin said. She recalled a time where Kon drew on Ichigo's face with a black marker as 'punishment' for letting Uryuu 'fix' Kon…which was after Kon got shredded by a black cat while he was spying on Yoruichi bathing in a lake.

"Ichigo could have chucked me in the nearest furnace, but he didn't." Kon said. "We may argue all the time, but that doesn't mean that we hate each other."

"…You really do care for Ichigo, huh?" Lirin said thoughtfully. "Kon, despite everything, you are a true-Kon? Kon, where are you?" She looks around for the missing lion plush. She eventually spots at the ground, making his way into a Daphne Classified clothing store. The artificial cockatiel lets out a low growl in anger.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Uryuu…" Weiss started. She and Uryuu are now taking a stroll around the city. "Why is it that you wanted to become a Huntsman?"

"What brought this up?" Uryuu asked

"Talking about our childhood made it come to mind." Weiss said. "I remember you saying you wanted become a Huntsman to prove your father you're capable. What about now?"

Uryuu thought back two years ago…

_~ Flashback: 2 years ago, City of Mistral ~_

_He was standing on top of Mistral's hospital, overlooking the city with somber eyes. He wore the hospital's white clothing, which consist of a loose-fitting tunic, trousers, and flats. White gauze was wrapped around his entire right arm and around his left calf and there is more underneath the tunic. He didn't have his bracelet around his wrist, because he didn't receive it yet._

_It had been two days since the deadly battle with Grand Fisher and, miraculously, team IURR came out victorious. Miraculous because they didn't die from it…And they wouldn't of have to fight the Adjucha Grimm if wasn't for Uryuu…_

" _I thought I'd find you here." A familiar voice said from behind. Uryuu turns to see his team leader, Ichigo, also wearing the hospital clothes and white bandages. Ichigo walked until he was next to the Quincy. "You doin' okay?"_

_Uryuu looks back the scenery before them, holding his arms. "Nothing is wrong."_

" _I'm calling bullshit on that."_

" _What do you want me to say?"_

" _How the hell should I know? But, I could tell that something is wrong." Ichigo said. "If there something you need to say, I'm all ears."_

"… _I…" Uryuu started but stopped for a moment. Ichigo waited patiently. "…I…I don't know what do anymore." Uryuu tightened his grip on his bicep. He hated feeling vulnerable, it made him felt weak. "For so long, I hated my father and wanted to prove that he was wrong. I let anger and grief control my life and ambitions. And now, that reason for becoming a Huntsman…is meaningless. What should I do now?"_

_Ichigo leans on the chest-high railing. "Well, I'd say find a new reason."_

" _A new reason?" A soft breeze blew by, rustling through Ichigo's wild hair and Uryuu's long bangs._

" _Yeah. Just look around. I'm sure you'll find something worth fighting for." Ichigo said. A strangely comfortable silence fell between the two._

_Uryuu stares off into the distance thinking. He glances down to see the long, blonde hair of his elder brother. He is talking to Rukia and Renji. Uryuu smiled. "Kurosaki…Ichigo…" The use of his first name grabbed the taller man's attention._

" _Hm?"_

" _Why do you want to become a Huntsman?"_

_~ Present ~_

A faint, fond smile appeared on Uryuu's face. "To protect. Simple as that."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Um, Ichigo…Why are we at the park?" Ruby asked. Her mentor was over at a tree, looking for something.

He finds what he is looking for. "You said that you can't fight well without a weapon, right?"

"Uh, yeah?" Ruby yelp when she caught a stick that was throw at her. She looks at the stick before looking at Ichigo quizzically. "Huh?"

"Pretend that's a dagger and fight me." Ichigo said. He takes a fighting stance. Ruby looks at the stick again before holding it in her left hand in a reverse grip and taking a stance. They circle around, looking for an opening. Ichigo attacks first, going in with a right hook. Ruby blocks it by hitting her wrist on Ichigo's and ducks and moves around to his back. She jumps and puts the older male in a headlock. "Nice move there. You're improving." Ruby shots him a triumphant smile. "One problem though." The smile disappeared. "You are not grounded." Ruby gasped when she realized that, due to Ichigo's height, her feet are dangling about one foot off the ground. "You gotta keep your opponent's height difference in mind!" Ichigo spins around, flinging Ruby off. The girl landed on her buttocks. While just a little sore, the only thing bruised was her confidence.

"Oh, I almost had you!" She whined. Ruby crossed her arms and pouted. Ichigo only smiled. Ruby smiled in return, happy to have her mentor, her  _friend_ , back.

Ichigo lends a hand. "Ready to go again?"

Ruby grabs it. "Yep."

They sparred until twilight is on the horizon. They flop on the grassy ground, winded from the hand-to-hand. Ruby giggles.

"What?" Ichigo asked.

"Nothing. Just happy, that's all." Ruby said. "I wasn't kidding when I said I missed hanging out with you."

"Yeah, sorry about that." Ichigo said. "I had a lot in my mind." It was true. Well, part of it. He doesn't want to tell Ruby that he has been hearing voices and whatnot.

Wait a minute.

The voice…it hasn't said anything for a while. In fact, whenever Ichigo is in Ruby's presence, the voice becomes strangely docile. Huh. If it is anything like a Grimm, then it probably hated Ruby's optimism.

"Ichigo…There's something I want to tell you." Ruby said. Ichigo noticed the guilty tone in her voice. "…I…I looked up on Sakuya Forest…and the Bount Case. I'm sorry! I should have asked you first, but…I just…wanted to know. I wanted know…what was hurting you…and see if there is anything I can do to help." She braced herself for whatever Ichigo could say. When he had said nothing, she dared to look at him.

He didn't seem angry. His brows are knitted together, but his expression is more thoughtful. He sighs. "If I'm being honest, there is nothing you can do. The deed has been done. It's  _been done_. I…" Ichigo stops. He glances over at Ruby, who stares at him with a concerned gaze. Ichigo sits up and Ruby does the same. Ichigo breathes in a shuddered breath and releases it. "…I was cocky. We were on a winning streak, you know. Killing Grand Fisher was just the tip of the iceberg. Then, we rescued a village from a massive flood when their dam burst. And, you've heard of some others. Stopping a bandit tribe. Finding Ashido Kano… I thought we were ready for anything…I…was wrong.  _So wrong_. Our initial mission was to locate a missing Huntress, but then we learn that said missing Huntress was taken hostage by the Bount Group. We were told of the situation by the people of Sakura Village and Rukia said it herself, 'This is beyond our league'. I didn't listen." Fighting Grand Fisher was an accident to begin with. "I thought 'these people needed help and they need it now'. They were this close to pick up arms and basically walk into a suicide mission. I managed to convince them to throw down their weapons, but it wasn't enough."

"What did the Bount Group do to the villagers?" Ruby asked.

Ichigo wasn't sure why he was telling Ruby this, but he just couldn't stop talking. "I don't really know. They would just take who ever they get their hands on and do… _something_  to them. We've never figured out what. Some would return, but they were never the same, and others were never seen again. We counted ourselves lucky that Ishida doesn't seem any different, but he didn't remember anything."

"Uryuu was taken by the Bount Group?" Ruby asked.

Ichigo nodded. "That was one of the final nails hitting the coffin. The resistance group gathered and marched to fight the Bount Group." He promised a little girl that he would bring her father, who joined the resistance team, home. "By the time we arrived, it was a bloodbath." Corpses were everywhere, some were children. "After that, I got a little more reckless. I didn't care if I died in the process. It wasn't until I was stabbed in the chest that Rukia called my old man. He threatened to pull me out of the academy unless I put my act together. Even now, I think about that night and wondered 'What should I do now?'." In the heavy rain, the little girl asked him where her daddy is. "'Do I still have the right to become a Hunstman?'" The little girl was crying, she threw her doll at him angrily, the same doll that is in his dorm now, as a remainder. "What should I do?"

"Well, I'd say live for them." Ruby said. "Live for the people who can't do it anymore."

"…Yeah." Ichigo muttered. He felt something on his hand. He looks to see a smaller hand over it. He looks at Ruby, the owner of the smaller hand.

"Have told anyone about how you've been feeling? Your teammates, anyone?" She asked. Ichigo shook his head. "Ichigo, you have amazing friends. Rukia once told me how you helped improve the relationship between her and her brother and how you help her make peace with herself. Orihime told me how you helped her trying to cope with the death of her own brother. And how you saved Uryuu. And then, there is us, team RWBY. You have done so much. So please, let  _us_  help  _you_." She gives Ichigo's hand a light squeeze.

Ichigo was again amazed. Ruby is indeed someone special. She faced problems with a big smile on her face and tries her best to look for a solution. Of course, she isn't without her own faults, but again, she faces them with stride. This girl…really is just a simple soul.

He smiled a little, turning his hand around to grasp Ruby's. After a moment they let go. They sat in silence until Ichigo chuckled softly. "What?" Ruby asked.

"Nothing. You just…remind me of my sisters a little." Ichigo said.

"Sisters?"

"Yeah. Two and they're twins, but as different as night and day." Ichigo said. "Sometimes, I would tell them what has been bothering and they give some advice. Karin would break it down before telling me what I should do, and Yuzu would encourage me. Now that I think about it, you're probably the same age as them."

"Well, I do have a 'little sister' nature about me. At least, that's what Yang said." Ruby said. "And, I've come to think you as a brother too."

"Well, I'm honored." Ichigo said.

"So, this is where you two have been." A familiar female voice said. Ruby cranes her head back to see the upside-down image of Weiss and Uryuu.

"Oh, hey Weiss. Hey, Uryuu!" Ruby greeted. Ichigo's face turned serious at the sight of Uryuu, who remained expressionless. Ichigo gets up and make his way to his Quincy partner.

"Ishida, I'm sorry." Ichigo said. Uryuu's well-manicured brow raised. "I haven't been a good leader. I've been avoiding you guys, which is a bad move at this point. I just want you to know that I will make things better."

"This has something to do with the Bount Case, isn't it?" Uryuu asked. Ichigo didn't answer, but he didn't need to as Uryuu took it as one. "That is very much like you to shoulder everything on your own."

"Uh, weren't you the same way?" Ichigo asked.

"And who was the one to tell me I didn't have to?" Uryuu questioned. "Practice what you preached, Kurosaki."

"…Yeah, your right… As usual." Ichigo said.

Uryuu sighs. "You could have a hole the size of a basketball blasted through your chest and your first words would be asking if anyone else is alright." Ichigo chuckled. His autumnal brown eyes landed on Uryuu's neck. His hands twitch and he felt guilty, but he can't remember why.

"…I'm sorry." Ichigo said, though he doesn't know why. Uryuu understood.

"It's okay."

Ruby was confused. "What's he talking about?"

"Don't worry about it, Ruby." Weiss said.

"Huh?"

"There you guys are!" Yang said as she, Blake, Rukia, and Renji walked over. Accompanying them are teams TAIM and JNPR. "We've been looking everywhere for you guys. We tried to call you, but no one answered."

Ruby chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry."

"What's up with the stick?" Jaune asked.

"Oh! It's like a makeshift dagger. Ichigo figured that since I can't fight well without a weapon, so…"

"…How come I never thought of that?" Yang asked.

"Maybe it's because you didn't want Ruby to hurt herself?" Blake surmised.

"…Probably."

Out of the blue, Kon was thrown into Ichigo's face. "Keep that little perv under control!" a young girl shrilled. She looks to be younger than Ruby, having short blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She wears a pink, fur-trimmed coat, a black bird-shaped cape, and red boots.

"Um, who are you?" Nora asked.

"Hm? Oh, I forgot you guys haven't seen me in this form yet. Hold on a minute." The girl glowed before dissipating to reveal a familiar blue cockatiel.

"Lirin?" Rukia wondered. "I didn't know you could do that."

Lirin giggled. "Pretty cool, huh? I can manipulate the Hard-Light Dust in my system to create an avatar outer shell."

"So cool!" Ruby exclaimed. Jaune nodded in agreement.

"Hey! What about the classics?!" Kon complained from Ichigo's grip.

"Do I even want to know what you've been up to?" Ichigo asked.

"I've been trying to figure out why you've been such a sourpuss lately." The plush said.

"He's right, you know." Tatsuki said to Ichigo. "We've been quiet about it, waiting for you to come to us on your own. But…Obviously, that wasn't the right choice."

"We should have just beat it out of you." Renji said. The others sweatdropped at that.

"…I wouldn't go that far." Keigo said.

"Still, you could have just talk to us." Yang said. "We are friends, right?"

Ichigo takes a moment to look at everyone. From the people who has been with him since Shin'o Academy, to the team he had been with for nearly three years now, to the others whom he has come to know. "Like I said: You have amazing friends." Ruby said.

"So…what now?" Yang asked.

"It's a beautiful night. Why not star gaze?" Blake said.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

They hurried back to Beacon campus went to the gardens. There, they lie down on the grass in a circle, looking up at the starry sky. Ruby, Weiss, and Jaune look in awe as Uryuu and Blake describe the various constellations, Renji was telling Yang and Nora the story how he got his tattoos, Orihime and Ren exchanging recipe ideas, Keigo scolding Mizuiro for having his face in his Scroll, and Rukia and Pyrrha just laid quietly, listening to everyone else. As did Ichigo, as he collected his thoughts.

While he had told Ruby of the aftermath of the Bount Case, he didn't tell her one thing: that he had almost lost his faith in humanity. Seeing the horrors that fell on to Sakura and the Sakuya Forest, it made Ichigo rethink everything. That there would always be people out there who would do harm to others solely because they can. The only reason he had continued his studies was because of obligation. Keyword: Had. Ruby came along. Ruby helped to remind him that there will always be good in this world, no matter how ugly is.

There is still one problem.

The 'other him'.

But, Ruby had also helped him remember that he isn't alone anymore. He's never alone. He still has his friends and no 'other him', Grimm or otherwise, would ruin that.

Right?

"Hey, Ichigo." Tatsuki said. "You doing okay, now?"

"Uh, yeah. Talking with Ruby about it helped." Ichigo said.

"Hmmm. I guess we should have talked about it more, huh?" Tatsuki wondered. "I mean, we kinda glossed over it. I could tell that you just want to forget about it and I didn't pressure you. Heh, some childhood friend I am."

"Ah, don't beat yourself over it." Ichigo said. "I'm kind of a stubborn idiot."

"Oh, so you're admitting it, now?" Tatsuki asked coyly. Ichigo laughs, a genuine laugh.

Ichigo was grateful for the people he came to know.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"He's seems to be under control for the time being." Yoruichi said to Ozpin in his office.

"That's good to hear." The older man said.

The cat woman narrowed her eyes. "You are still worried."

Ozpin leaned over, placing his chin on his intertwined fingers. "I would be lying if I said no. However, I see no reason call  _him_. Right?"

/Yeppo!/ Kisuke Urahara exclaimed, his face appearing on a holographic screen between Ozpin and Yoruichi. /Recent development tells me that there is nothing to worry for now./

Yoruchi was unimpressed. "You two are too carefree for your own good." She then muttered, "I feel sorry for Glynda."

/Yoruichi,/ Kisuke smiled, but it was solemn, missing its usual mischievousness. /, I understand that you are worried and wishes that nothing will come to harm Ichigo./ Kisuke looks off to the side. /Oh, it looks like Tessai is done with dinner. Buh-Bye!/ The hologram disappears.

Yoruchi decides to leave herself. "I could use some sleep. I've been busy all day. Have a good night, Prof. Ozpin."

"You fear for Ichigo." Ozpin said, stopping Yoruichi in her tracks. She smirked a laugh.

"Of course, I do. You don't think most of our time together involved training, do you?" Yoruichi said. "And, I made a promise to Masaki to watch over him."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Kisuke closed his fan, which he used to talk to Ozpin, turning off the holographic screen. He taps the fan to his chin in deep thought. His expression serious. "Still…we are only delaying the inevitable."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Vytal Arrivals


	30. Chapter 29: Vytal Arrivals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo while RWBY belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth

Ruby is currently sprawled over the desk, mentally exhausted. "I'm so glad that was over." She groaned.

"How well do you guys think you did on your tests?" Blake asked.

"Nothing less than an A+." Weiss said with utmost confidence.

"Aren't you reaching for the stars." Yang remarked. Weiss merely hmphed before she had an idea.

"Let's go to the docks!"

"Uh, why?"

"Because today is the day students would start arriving here for the festival. Now, let's get going!"

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Vale was buzzing with preparations for the Vytal Festival as team RWBY came to the city square on their way to the docks, where a stage is being set up. Weiss sighed in content. "The festival is almost here! Soon, there will be parades, dances, concerts, and so much more!"

"I've never seen you this excited before, Weiss." Ruby commented. "It's kinda creepy."

"Oh, quiet you!"

"Isn't that Renji?" Yang pointed out. They see the Faunus man carrying some large planks of wood. Accompanying him is Keigo. "What's he doing?" They walk over to him. "Yo, Renji!"

"Huh?" Renji turns around. Yang ducks to avoid getting hit by the plank. Keigo, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky and was knocked backwards. "Oh, hey. What are you four up to?" Renji asked.

"We're on our way to the docks to see the arriving students from the other schools." Yang answered.

"And as a class representative, I feel it was my duty to greet them with a Beacon welcome." Weiss said.

"…She wanted to see the competition, so she'll have the upper hand in the tournament." Blake exposed with a coy smile.

"Oh, hush!"

"Where's the rest of your team?" Ruby asked.

Renji turns, again hitting Keigo in the back of his head with the planks. "Ichigo's helping out getting the stage ready, Rukia's talking with some of the band members, and Uryuu's over there." Renji answered, pointing at where his teammates are.

RWBY glances over to where Uryuu is, seeing him talking a tanned, curvaceous, well-endowed, and green-eyed blonde woman with a porcelain mask over her nose and mouth. Two strands of her blonde hair are held together by blue beads. She wore a dark blue leather bolero jacket, a blue tube top showing off her midriff, some cleavage and a tattoo on the left side of her right breast, black hot pants with a blue belt, and black thigh high heels. Ruby recognized her immediately.

"Is that Tier Halibel?!"

"As in Meg2umi's Tier Halibel?" Yang added. With a squeal, Ruby, in a flurry of rose petals, and Yang dashes away.

"Ruby, Yang, get back here! We're supposed to go to the docks!" Weiss called out, going after them.

"Later." Blake said to Renji before following the heiress. Renji waved before turning around to leave. Keigo, this time, ducked. He chuckled in triumph before he slips and falls backwards again.

"Ow…"

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Ichigo is up on the lighting truss, arranging the spotlight with the help one of the roadies, Yukio. "…More to the right… Left… Left… Right… Left… Right…"

Getting annoyed, Ichigo shouts, "Make up your mind, damn it!" at the blonde boy. Yukio looks up from his Scroll, which he was using to play a game.

"What are you yelling about?" He asked, not really caring.

"Get off your damn Scroll! You're supposed to help, Yukio!"

A young woman with long magenta hair in two ponytails stomped over. Her eyes are magenta too and she wore a black dress with white cuffs and collar and black thigh high boots. On her head is a white, fluffy hat with two extensions that resemble bunny ears. "Ichigo, you're not done yet?!"

"Can it!"

From where he is, Uryuu couldn't help but smile. This was the Classic Ichigo. The kind of Ichigo that's just simply short-tempered. The Quincy would rather get hurt by another Grimm than to admit it, but he's happy that his partner is back to normal. However, he still has a nagging feeling. Halibel noticed it.

"Everything alright?" She asked, her voice slightly muffled because of the mask.

"For now, at least." Uryuu said. He then felt a familiar Aura Pressure speeding towards where he is. He looks over to see a red streak trailing red petals. Halibel turns her head too, the beads in her hair clicking together.

The red streak skid to a stop, revealing to be Ruby. "It's so cool to actually see you person, Ms. Halibel!" Uryuu waves away any stray petals. Yang finally caught up.

"No fair, Ruby! Using your Speed was cheating!" Yang complained. "Holy crap, I LOVE your music! I've downloaded practically all of them!" She then quickly added, " _Legally_ , of course."

Halibel smiled, though it's hidden in her mask. "That's good to hear."

"Where's Ms. Riruka?" Ruby asked.

"She's over there, bossing Kurosaki around." Uryuu answered, pointing in the direction where Ichigo and Riruka having a shouting match. Yang noticed the familiarity.

"Wait, do you guys know each other?" She asked.

Uryuu and Halibel exchanges glances. "You could say that." Uryuu answered with a push of his glasses.

"We've met some time last year, while team IURR was on a mission." Halibel said.

"So cool…" Ruby said. It was at that moment Weiss and Blake finally arrived, the former exhausted.

"Ruby…you are…you are…" Weiss wheezed. At this point, Halibel has left to help with the stage and Ichigo has returned.

"Weiss, what took you so long?" Ruby asked.

"Salutations!" a new redhead with bright green eyes greeted with a salute, appearing from behind Weiss and startling the others.

"Who are you?" Yang questioned.

"My name is Penny. It's a pleasure to meet you!" The girl introduced herself.

"Oh, hello, Penny. My name is Ruby." Ruby said. Penny takes her extended out hand and gives it several, fast shakes.

"Hello, Ruby. It's a pleasure to meet you!" The strange girl said. Strange indeed. Ichigo and Uryuu glanced at each other, thinking the same thing. A Scroll dings and Penny pulls out of the pocket of her overall dress. "Oh, it looks like I need to go. I hope to see you again." She bows and walks away.

"Ah, yeah. Take care, friend!" Ruby said. Penny froze in place.

"She's weird, huh?" Yang whispered.

"What did you call me?" Penny asked, suddenly in front of them.

"Oh! S-sorry. I didn't mean what I said!"

"No, not you." Bright green eyes meet silver ones. "You. You called me 'friend'. Am I really your friend?"

"Uh, yeah?" Ruby said. She then finds herself in a squeezing hug.

"Oh, sensational! My first friend!"

"Sooo, how did you two meet her?" Ichigo asked Weiss and Blake.

"Weiss accidentally ran into her." Blake said.

"Do you have to tell everyone everything?!" Weiss exclaimed.

"Itsygo!" a teal-haired woman shouted as she tackled Ichigo. She wore a white, tight-fitting long-sleeved shirt with shoulder pads and puffy cuffs and the sleeves are a fern green color. The shirt had a black line starting at the collar and going down to the left side of her chest, the right side being a dark fern green color, and to the side and a puffy three lay bottom too. Printed on the back of her shirt is a sideways heart with the curved part resembling a '3'. She has two thin black sashes and she wore black gloves and white pants that are open at the end and black mid-heeled shoes. Strapped to her back is a double-sided lance and protruding from her head is a pair of curled horns indicative of a ram. She gives Ichigo a squeezing hug. "Nel is so happy to see you again!"

"…I can see that…" Ichigo wheezed. The horned woman notices team RWBY and let's go of Ichigo, who collapsed to the ground.

Her hazel eyes beamed as she clasps her hands together. "You four must be team RWBY!"

Ruby blushed sheepishly. "Ah, heh-heh, yeah. Uh, I am—"

"Nonono, don't tell Nel! Nel wants to see if she can get this right. You're Ruby," The ram Faunus turns to the Schnee heiress. "You're Weiss," She turns Blake, "You're Blake," Lastly, she turns to Yang, "And you're Yang. Is Nel right?"

"Yeah, you are." Yang said. "I'm surprised that you already know who we are."

"Oh, Rukia has told Nel about you four during a call and Nel remember thinking 'Nel can't wait to see to them in person!"

"…Sooo, is Nel your name or…" Ruby asked.

"Oh, Nel's sorry! She forgot to introduce herself! Hi, Nel's full name is Nelliel Tu Odelschwank. She is a 4th year student at Shade Academy and leader of her team, NGUS (Negus)." She accidentally spittle at the last 's'. She blushed. "And an occasional lisper."

Penny appeared before Nel. "Hello, Ms. Odelschwank. My name is Penny. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"And Nel is pleased to meet you too!"

Uryuu cleared his throat. "So, Ms. Odelschwank, where is the rest of your team?"

"Oh, they're right…over…" Nel looks around for her teammates, only to notice that they are nowhere to be seen. "Oops. Nel was so excited to see Itsygo again that she ran really, really fast to find him. Nel can't wait to be with Itsygo and his friends later. Bye-bye!"

"Hope to see you again too, Ms. Wodel…Hodel…uh…Wadel…" Ruby struggled to pronounce Nel's last name, becoming crossed eye.

Uryuu smile softly in amusement. "She prefers to be called 'Nel'."

"Do you have a thing for Faunus women,  _Itsygo_?" Yang asked playfully at Ichigo.

"Very funny…" he said.

Weiss let out a snort. "Well, you certainly have bad taste." Blake's bow twitched and she eyed the heiress pointedly.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm just saying that Ichigo could do better than  _Faunus_."

"Hey now…" Ichigo said.

"Ichigo has the freedom to choose who he wants to associate himself." Blake argued. "Besides, you are aware that Renji and Prof. O'Hare are a Faunus, right?"

"Somebody called my name?" the crimson-haired Faunus asked, appearing next to Ichigo and Uryuu.

"I am aware, thank you. That doesn't mean that he could join up with the Faunus of the White Fang." Weiss said. "And for all you know, O'Hare is probably a White Fang spy!"

"Huh?"

"And what makes you say that? What are you trying to imply?" Blake questioned.

"Imply? I thought I was being clear. The Faunus of the White Fang are a bunch of scum!" Weiss exclaimed.

"The White Fang are just very misguided."

"Misguided? Misguided?! Do you realize all the damages they caused? All the people they hurt? All the Dust shops they robbed?!"

"I highly doubt the White Fang would steal  _your_  precious Dust in the middle of downtown Vale."

"That doesn't change the fact the White Fang are pure evil!"

"There is no such thing as pure evil!"

"Hey, stop that Faunus!" Everyone looks to see a pair of Vale police officers chasing after a grinning young man with bright blonde hair and a monkey that is equally as blonde. They run past the group.

"See? What did I tell you? Give him time and he'll join with the other filthy Faunus of the White Fang." Weiss spat.

Blake growls in frustration. "You ignorant little  _brat_!" She storms off.

Weiss goes after her. "How dare you talk to me like that! I am your teammate!"

"What you are is a judgmental little girl!"

"…Did I come in a bad time?" Renji asked. Neither Ichigo nor Uryuu were keen to answer.

Ichigo's eye twitched a little as the other him in head started laughing again. Ever since his talk with Ruby, he started to not give the voice a lot of attention. And the worked, for the most part. The voice still whispered at him, but he hasn't had any flashbacks or nightmares since them.

"Maybe we should go, Ruby…Ruby? Ruby, where are you?" Yang asked, looking around for her missing sister.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Ruby's eyes shined in awe at the Shade Academy students arriving. Or, to be more precise, their weapons. "Ooh! Look! There's a crossbow-sword! And look over there! There's jet-propelled shoes!"

"Oh my, you sure do love weapons, Ruby." Penny commented, her tone carries a sense of awe.

Ruby giggled. "Yeah. I get that a lot. I hope that one day, I get to meet Oetsu Nimaiya!"

"Nimaiya? Oh! I know him!" Penny said.

"What do you mean?"

"…Uh…he works with my father every now again. He even designed my swords."

"Wow! Really?"

"Oh, yes. He's a very nice man."

"…Wait, you're fighting in the tournament."

Penny nodded. "Hm-mm. I am combat ready!"

"…Huh…" Then, Ruby notices a peculiar weapon. Strapped to a tall lanky man is a giant axe-like weapon bearing two crescent moon-shaped blades fused together at the backs, with a large looped chain connected to the shaft at the end of the handle. The chain is connected to the owner's waist. Amazed at the complexity, Ruby dashes to the owner. "Holy cats! Your weapon looks so cool! They look like two scythes put together! How do you wield it? Why are the blades in the inside instead of outside?..."

Penny smiled, amused by Ruby's antics. She then noticed something. With great urgency, she shouted, "RUBY!"

"Huh?" Ruby looks at Penny confusingly before turning back to the tall man…in time to be backhanded in the cheek,  _hard_  and with a lot of force that it made the girl fall. Holding her stinging cheek, she looks at the lanky man. He was intimidatingly tall, being 7'0" feet tall, with black hair hangs past his shoulders, concealing the left side of his face and a large white eyepatch with one exposed dark gray eye. By his side a blonde young man with green eyes and a circlet around his head. His pointed ears show his Quincy lineage.

"Fuckin' brat." The tall man spat before turning away to leave.

"Ruby, are you okay?" Penny asked, now at the girl's side.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine." Ruby said. "Owwww, I didn't see that coming." Penny noticed the tiny tears of pain emerging from the corners of Ruby's silver eyes. Her bright green eyes narrowed before standing back up and confronted the lanky male. "Penny, wait! What are you doing?"

"Excuse me, Mr. Eyepatch!" Penny exclaimed, garnering the attention of not only the attention of the tall man, but also people around them, including Nel and her team.

"Heeeh?" the man drawled. "What do ya want?"

"You were really rude to my friend. You should apologize right now!" Penny demanded, almost sound like a scolding mother.

A crowd started to gather around, watching. "Why the fuck would I do that? The fucking brat was in the way."

At this point, Ichigo, Yang, Uryuu, and Renji arrived. "That doesn't mean that you should hit someone. And you should do something about that language of yours, mister. There are children present."

"Fuck the children."

Penny gasped. "You need to have your mouth washed out with soap!"

Irritated, the man reached for his weapon. "Wanna die first, bitch?"

"Hey!" Ichigo shouted, the shout echoed. The tall man sneered over to Ichigo's direction. His scowl quickly turned into a smirk. Ichigo walks over and stood between the tall man and Penny. The man laughed.

"Kurosaki."

Ichigo glowered. "Gilga."

"Who is that?" a male beside Uryuu asked. Uryuu looks at him and recognized him. It was Zakuro, the man Rukia accidently hit with the men's restroom door.

Uryuu pushed up his glasses and answered, "Nnoitora Gilga. A fourth year from Shade. He, along with his partner Tesla Lindocruz, are the only two in his team instead of a four-person team."

"Why is that?" Zakuro asked. Uryuu notices that a porcelain mask covering his left eye.

"I'm not sure. There is talk about him being particularly violent to the other two members of his team in his first year. Sometimes I wonder how a man like him got into a Huntsman academy."

"Well, this is Shade Academy we're talking about." Renji pointed out. Uryuu nodded in acknowledgement.

Yang runs over to Ruby. "Ruby, are you okay?"

"Yes, Yang. I'm fine, really." Ruby tried to reassure her sister. Yang pried the hand covering Ruby's bruised cheek.

"How can you say that when there's a cut?"

"What?" Ruby looks at her hand, seeing a red smeared stain on her palm. Nnoitora hit her that hard?

Ichigo noticed this and his anger at Nnoitora grew more heated. The lanky man chuckled at the sight. "I like that look on your face, Kurosaki. You should have it more often." Ichigo's fists tightened as Nnoitora laughed. "I heard over yonder how Ichigo Kurosaki, the Grimm Reaper of Beacon Academy, is now babysitting a bunch of  _cunts_." Something sparked in Ichigo's eyes at the last word. While he doesn't want to give into 'the other him's taunts and 'suggestions', that last word of Nnoitora's struck a dangerous chord.

"I dare you to say that again." He growled. Unconsciously, his yellow Aura emanated from him as he released his Aura Pressure. Seeing this as an enjoying challenge, Nnoitora released his own yellow-colored Aura Pressure. The Aura Pressures combined started to take toll on many spectators. Nnoitora's partner, Tesla, sweated profusely as he struggled to remain upright. Renji and Uryuu were same, though the latter was teetering and would have feel to his knees if it weren't for Renji holding him up. Strangely, Zakuro didn't seem all that effected, but was amazed at Ichigo's power.

"…Is he…" He muttered.

As they were closer, Yang, Ruby, and Penny were effected the most. While she tried her best to keep standing, Penny was forced to kneel. Yang and Ruby wasn't fairing any better. As a person with higher than average Aura Sense, Ruby's effected a lot more than say her sister. Speaking of Yang, she manages to lift her head to look at Ichigo.

 _Holy hell, this is crazy!_ , Yang thought.

Then, Nel stepped in front of Ichigo and Nnoitora, calm despite the Aura Pressures. "Stop this at once!" Her voice echoed throughout the area. Almost a split second later, the two men relinquished their Aura. Nel look at the mean with a serious expression, a drastic change from her normal bubbly personality. "We are in a public area. Shows of power like this would only harm the people around us. Save it for the tournament." Ichigo backed down, but Nnoitora glowered at the ram woman. He clicks his tongue and turns away.

"Whatever. Let's go, Tesla." He said.

"Of course." Tesla turns to the others. "I advise you all to stay out of Mr. Nnoitora's way." After saying that, he walks away.

"Okay, people! Show's over! Get a move on! Come on!" Renji ordered at the crowd.

Danger now averted, Nel sighs. "Itsygo, don't go picking fights like that. Itysgo knows better!" She scolded at Ichigo, back to be her bubbly self. Ichigo scratched the back of his head.

"Sorry."

"Ruby, are you okay?" Yang asked.

"Yes! You don't have to keep asking me that, Yang." Ruby said, though a little more pale now. Ichigo felt guilty, knowing that his and Nnoitora's Aura Pressures takes greater toll on exceptional Aura Sensers. He even saw Ishida: a little weak-kneed and more pallid, but alright.

"Sorry about that, Ruby." He apologized.

"Oh, don't sweat it. I'll be fine in a minute or two." Ruby said. "It's not like this the first. Yang releases her Aura Pressure every time she throws a hissy-fit."

"I throw hissy-fits, huh? Come here, you." Yang said before grabbing her sister and gives her nuggies on her head. Ruby playfully complains as Penny giggled at the sight. Ichigo smiled.

Nel notices the cut and bruise on Ruby's cheek. She gets to her knees in front of Ruby. "Oh no, Ruby's hurt! Did Nnoitora did this to her?"

Before Ruby could tell not to worry, Penny blurted, "Yes, he did!" Ruby facepalmed.

"Really, I'm fine." Nel didn't seem convinced.

"Don't worry. Let Nel take care of it." She dabs her thumb on her tongue before wiping it on Ruby's cheek, much to the latter's complaints. It reminded of Yang how Summer would do the same when she saw dirt on the blonde's face. "There! All done!"

A little irritated, Ruby rubbed her offended cheek, only to be surprised. There was no cut! Ruby looked at her to not seeing any blood smears. "My cut! It's gone!" Yang looks at her sister's cheek to see that the cut and bruise is indeed gone.

"Whoa, how did you do that?" Yang asked.

"You know how saliva is like a healing agent?" Nel asked. Yang nodded. "Well, that's Nel's Semblance! Nel's saliva work 100 times better than everybody else!"

"That's cool…I think." Yang wasn't sure if she should be amazed or grossed out.

"Of course, there are limits to Nel's Semblance." Nel said. She then heard a yip. She turns to see a wolf-like animal and her team waiting for her. "Oh, Nel needs to go. Have a good day!" Nel sprints off to meet up with her team.

Ruby noticed something missing. "Hey, Yang. Where's Weiss and Blake?"

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Sometime later, Yang and Ruby make their way back to their dorms. Upon entering the building, they were greeted by Jaune. "Hey, Vomit Boy! How's hangin'? Yang greeted.

Jaune's eye twitched at the nickname. "Hey…is something going on with Blake and Weiss?"

"What do you ask?" Ruby asked.

"Well, they've been having a shouting match in the last hour or so…"

It was at that moment Yang and Ruby heard their teammates muffled shouts from inside Blake's/Yang's closed dorm. "Oh…We'll take care of this." Yang said.

"You might want to hurry then. The other residences are getting antsy." Jaune said.

The sisters nodded and made their way to the dorm. Yang unlocks it and opens the door. The sisters flinched at the shouts before heading inside.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it!" Blake said.

"I don't understand why you're making such a big deal out of this!" Weiss said. "Don't you get it? Faunus and the White Fang are nothing but scum!"

"That's the reason!"

"You do understand that you're defending an organization that hates humanity, right?"

"And why do you think that? It's because of people like Cardin, people like you!"

"Like me?"

"You're discriminatory!"

"I'm a victim!" Silence followed Weiss' exclamation. "…Do you want to know why I don't trust the Faunus? It's because they have been at war with my family and my family's company for  _years_. Robbery, sabotage, assassinations,  _executions_ … Not only that, Uryuu nearly died because of them. Ten years ago, Uryuu had to have surgery, a procedure that could mean life or death. The shipment that had what they needed was attacked by Faunus. Uryuu almost  _died_  because of them! And that's not the end of it. Have any of you heard of Gin Ichimaru?" When no one dared to speak, Weiss continued, "He was the first Faunus to not only graduate from Atlas Academy, but also became the first Faunus captain in the Atlesian Special Ops. He was respected. Then, he betrayed that trust by killing an innocent man in cold blood. No one has seen him since. I have no doubt that he had joined up with the White Fang. After all, he is just like the rest of them. A liar…a thief…and a MURDERER!"

"NO, WE'RE NOT!" Blake shouted.

"…'We'?" Weiss echoed. When the haze of anger fade, Blake realized her blunder.

"…I…"

"Blake?" Ruby said. She reaches for the girl's shoulder, but the moment she touched it, 'Blake' disappeared. "?!" Ruby runs out of the room just in time to see the real Blake running out of the building. "Blake! Wait! Comeback!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: It's Not Always Black and White (August 17 or 18)


	31. Chapter 30: It's Not Always Black and White

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo while RWBY belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth

"Any word from Blake?" Ruby asked.

"No…" Yang said.

"It's been nearly two days now." Ruby said. She glances over to Weiss, who has been nonchalantly filing her nails. "Weiss, aren't you worried?" The heiress stopped to give her partner a sideways glance before returning to her filing.

"What heart-felt emotion." Yang said dryly.

"Okay, we'll start our search again over in the commercial district." Ruby said.

"Why bother?" Weiss asked, finally speaking. "You both heard what she said."

"Weiss…" Ruby chided.

"Maybe she is, maybe she isn't." Yang said. "That doesn't matter right now. We need to find her."

Weiss scoffed and rolled her eyes. "She's probably back with her own kind. Just watch, the next time we see her, she'll be with the other White Fang Faunus."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

There is an awkward silence between Blake and the monkey Faunus from the day before, Sun Wukong, sat at a table in a three-star hotel room. The only thing making any sort of noise is a clock, Sun tapping his finger on the table, and a shower running. He forced a grin at Blake, who was disinterested. The shower was eventually turned off and Yoruichi emerges from the bathroom in an orange robe and an orange towel wrapped around her head.

"I see you two are having a lively conversation." The woman joked with mirth. Sun only chuckled sheepishly before turning his head away, his face blushed from seeing Yoruichi in just a bathrobe, especially with it clings on to her body, showing off curves. The older Faunus giggled at the flustered boy.

Blake sighed. "…Thank you for letting me stay over."

Yoruichi goes to Blake a light hug. "Anything for my favorite niece."

"…I'm your  _only_  niece."

"Which makes it even better." She moved over to a tea brewer. "Who wants tea?"

"I-I could have a mug, if you don't mind, Ms. Shihoin." Sun said.

"Just Yoruichi would be nice." Yoruichi said as she handed the mugs to the younger Faunus'. "I don't care much for formality." After taking a sip from her own mug, she asked, "So, what are you going to do today?"

"What?" Blake asked.

"I asked what are you going to do today? You can't exactly stay in here all day." Yoruichi said.

Blake looks down, seeing her reflection in the tea. "I…I don't know."

"Does it have anything to do with the White Fang robbing Dust shops?" Yoruchi asked.

"You believe it too?!" Blake yelled. Realizing she had raised her voice, she said, "…sorry."

"It's okay." Yoruichi said. She takes a chair to seat next to her niece. "Blake, why did you leave the White Fang?"

"…What?"

"I am happy to see that you've decided to leave the White Fang, especially with how extreme their methods are now with Sienna Khan as High Leader. Despite this, you still defend their actions." Yoruichi said. "So, I ask again: Why did you leave the White Fang?"

Memories of someone Blake once loved returned to her mind. She remembers how he was long before: Brave, righteous, and he cared so much for the Faunus and their cause. Then…he changed. And not for the better. Where there once was embraces and words of assurance, they were replaced with vicious hits and words of spite.

"…I grew tired of all the violence and hate, and I wanted to do something that would actually make a change." Blake said. When she realized what her aunt is really asking, she said, "I guess… deep down… I didn't want to believe it."

"It's not much of a surprise. You were practically born into the White Fang." Yoruichi said. "If you still think that way about the White Fang, then there is only one solution." Blake and Sun look at the older woman. "Stakeout a potential lead."

"The thing is I don't know where to look first." Blake said. "There are still more Dust shops here in Vale. I wouldn't know where to start."

"Um… I may have an idea." Sun said. "While I was on the boat, I've heard some workers about Dust shipments arriving today. And they're huge. Like, SDC freighter huge."

"…Well, it's a start."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Over at the mall, RW_Y asked people about the whereabouts of Blake. Well, Ruby and Yang are.

"Excuse me. Have you seen this girl?" Ruby asked politely to an old lady, showing her a picture of Blake reading on her Scroll. The old lady shook her head and left.

"Come on. Are you sure you haven't seen her?" Yang asked a young man, who was trying to walk away from her. Yang hangs her head in defeat. The sisters look Weiss, who is seating at a bench, flipping through her Scroll. "Weiss, aren't you gonna help?"

"There's a police station over there." Weiss said, thumbing at the direction. The sisters gave the heiress an unamused glare. "What?"

Ruby's Scroll starts to ding. She looks at the caller id. It was Jaune, though Ruby labeled his call address as 'Vomit Boy'. She has no doubt that Jaune's label for her number is 'Crater Face'. She answers it. "Hello?"

/Hey, Ruby. Any luck?/ Jaune asked.

"No…" Ruby answered.

/Are sure you don't want us to help you look around Vale?/ Jaune asked.

"You guys are helping plenty by staying at Beacon. Just in case Blake had returned." Ruby reassured.

/…If you say so./ Jaune said with some hesitancy. Despite having very little interactions with Blake, Jaune still worried for her wellbeing. /Call me when something happens./

"Will do. Bye." Ruby said before hanging up. She sighs. She started to hear music. "Hm?" She walks out of the mall to see a concert happening at the square. She makes her way over, followed by Yang and Weiss. There was already a crowd, cheering as the song come to an end. The band in question was Meg2umi, with Halibel being the lead singer.

"How is she able to sing with a mask over her mouth?" Weiss asked.

"On her profile page, she revealed that she had it specially made by Atlas technicians." Yang said.

"She could be lip-syncing for all we know." Weiss said.

"…Wow, you are judgmental." Yang said.

"Oh, shut up." Weiss said, her bracelets jingling as she crossed her arms.

"Salutations!" Penny greeted, surprising the other three.

"Penny, don't do that." Ruby scolded, holding a hand to her chest.

"Oops, sorry! I just saw you guys and I just had to say hi." Penny said. "So, what are you three up to?"

"Uhhh…" Yang said.

"Wait. Where is Blake?" Penny asked.

"…She's missing." Ruby said.

Penny let out a gasp. "Oh, no! Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Uh, actually, uh…" Ruby said, trying to think of an excuse.

"We were thinking about splitting up to cover more ground." Yang said quickly. "How about you and Ruby go check out the industrial area while the Ice Queen and I check around here some more?" Weiss glared at the blonde at the 'Ice Queen' comment.

Penny salutes. "I understand. Let's go, Ruby. We won't rest until we find your teammate." The redhead takes Ruby by the hand and drags her away, the younger girl reaching out for her sister feebly.

"We've made no such plan." Weiss said, arching a brow at Yang.

Yang looks serious. "Listen: I get that you had a rough childhood and all, but that doesn't mean that you can be hostile at any Faunus. Even if Blake was a member, I'd think that she was too young at time."

Weiss huffs. "I'm surprised that you let your little sister be acquainted with shady people. I thought you were protective of her."

"I am. But that doesn't mean that I can shield her from everything. Believe me… I want to. But, look at her now. Besides, if I was so protective, then I wouldn't have her be partnered with you." It sounded like a jab, but there was probably a deeper meaning.

"Very funny." Weiss said.

"Hey." They heard Ichigo say as he and Rukia walked over to them.

"Berry Boy, Rukia, what are you guys up to?" Yang asked.

"Monitoring the concert." Ichigo said, thumbing at the stage. "Where's Ruby?"

"She's checking out the industrial district."

"I'll take a guess that Blake is still missing."

Yang looks crestfallen. "…Yeah." Weiss on the other hand wasn't.

"What exactly happened?" Rukia asked. "We were never told of the reason why she disappeared."

"We…" Yang started with some caution. "…sort of found out that she's…a…"

"She's a Faunus." Weiss blurted. Yang smacks her arm. "Hey!" Ichigo and Rukia looked slightly surprised.

"I know, right?" Yang said, noticing their expressions. "Man, I'd never would have guessed. Well, it does explain why she'd go into the showers with her bow on and why she puts a lot of tuna in her—"

"I think you misinterpreted Ichigo and I." Rukia said.

"Why?"

"We've always known Blake was a Faunus." Ichigo revealed. "It's kind of obvious."

"How?" Weiss asked.

Ichigo and Rukia exchanged glances before looking back at Yang and Weiss. "Her full name is Blake  _Belladonna_ , right?" Ichigo quizzed.

"Yes?"

"Who was the previous White Fang leader before Sienna Khan?" Rukia quizzed.

"Oh, that's easy." Yang said. "It's Ghira Bel…la…don…na." Weiss smacks herself in the face.

"Ah, don't beat yourselves up over it." Ichigo said. "Since Renji's trait are his teeth, you can't really tell if he's a Faunus or not if you paid close attention. Hell, Ishida didn't know Renji is a Faunus until he—"

"You might not wanna finish that sentence." Rukia warned him. Ichigo held his hands up in surrender.

"Anyways, I'm free for the day. Mind if I help?" Ichigo asked.

"The more the merrier." Yang said.

"STOP! Just stop!" Weiss exclaimed. "Why are we even doing this?! Don't you remember all the things she said? She's a member of the White Fang! A filthy Faunus! So, why bother?"

Anger started to boil in both Yang and Ichigo. But, before either one of them could say anything, Rukia places a hand on their upper arms. "Weiss, I wish to speak with you about something important. Ichigo, Yang, please go on ahead without us."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

_Man, that broad is a real bitch. Ain't she?_ , the voice sneered, but Ichigo paid no heed to it as he listened to Yang rant.

"Ugh! I just can't stand her sometimes! I mean, she's gottin' better since she and Ruby made up, but this…" She turns to Ichigo. "What is your take on this?"

Ichigo only shrugged. "Nothing really. I mean, I don't like the whole racism and discrimination and the like. I grew up in an open-minded household. However, I was never keen on picking sides."

"What do you mean?"

"Say that you, as a human, sympathize with the Faunus and White Fang and wishes to support them. Other humans might look at you and say 'so, you side with murderers and thieves' when none of that is the point. On the other hand, as a Faunus, you wish to make peace with humans, but other Faunus would berate you for 'going against your own kind' even though it would benefit them greatly. At one point, such communities would grow to be so toxic that people would not want to pick a side anymore."

"So, you're neutral from all this?" Yang asked.

"Pretty much. Not to say that I'll stand by and watch Faunus getting bullied because of their heritage." Ichigo said.

"With all this discrimination, I'm surprised that there isn't much of that against the Quincys." Yang commented.

"I think part of that reason is because of the fact that Quincys look more human, besides their ears." Ichigo said. "That and the positive influences of the Ishidas, the Blumes, and the von Johanns. Even the Sanguis family until they were killed in a fire. Of course, that doesn't mean that there aren't any bad apples from the Quincy side of things."

"Wandenreich, right?"

"Heard of them?"

"A little bit, yeah. Not as open about their goals as say the White Fang are, but I've heard of some bizarre rumors, like weird blood rituals, kidnapping, sacrifices, mass suicides…Talk about drinking the flavored juice. I've heard about a sectioned group of the cult getting caught red-handed and arrested thanks to an undercover agent or something."

"…Yeah…" Because he wasn't paying attention, Ichigo bumps into someone.

"Sorry." They both said at the same time. Ichigo takes a moment to look at the other man… has he seen him somewhere?

"Oh, hey!" Yang greeted. "Your name is Zakuro, right?"

The man's lone red eye widened. "I'm surprised that you remembered my name."

Yang shrugged. "I tend to remember faces of handsome men."

"Thank you?"

Yang gets an idea. "Oh! Hey, have you seen this girl?" She shows him the picture of Blake.

"…Oh, I've seen her. I think I saw her with a monkey Faunus."

"Yes! Finally, a lead!" Yang cheered.

"Do you also happen to know where they are?" Ichigo asked.

"I think they were heading in the direction of the industrial district." Zakuro said.

"That's where Ruby is!" Yang said. She uses her Scroll to call her sister. "Come on, Ichigo!"

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Rukia, what are we doing back here?" Weiss asked as she and Rukia make their way through backstage. There, they see Renji speaking with Halibel. Renji notices his teammate coming in.

"Hey!" Renji greeted.

"Renji, may I ask you a question?" Rukia asked.

"Ask away."

"What are your views of the White Fang?"

"My views?" Renji made a quick glance at Weiss. "Well, I knew that my Ma and Pa were supportive members—"

"See? What did I tell you?" Weiss interrupted.

"Weiss…Let him finish." Rukia said. Because of the serious tone of her voice, Weiss complied. "Continue."

Renji nodded. "Right. You know how the WF has different factions for each Kingdom?" Weiss nodded. "My Ma and Pa were members of the Vacuo branch. They were icons for the community at the time when Ghira was in power. The reason for that is…remember what I said about my Ma?"

Weiss took a moment to remember. "She's…human."

"Yep. My Ma was disgusted of the irrational fears and discriminations. How she met my Pa was kinda funny. My Pa was part of a guerilla Faunus group that had no connections to the WF. They were at war with a group of humans and they often butt heads. During one battle however, my Ma came to put a stop to it."

"How?"

"You'd think that she'll give them a heartfelt speech about friendship and the power of love and the like… No, not my Ma." Renji laughed at the memory of the story. "Apparently, she took a rifle and shot it in the air and gave both groups one hell of an earful." Renji wished that he could go back in time watch the whole thing happening. "After that, they joined the White Fang, during the time that humans could join, and grew closer from that. Soon they got married and, dundun, I'm here. After Ghira stepped down and Sienna rose, things changed. Since Sienna didn't want any humans in the organization, she banished them. My Pa was angry when they kicked Ma out solely because she was wasn't a Faunus, so he quit too. They then decided to make their own organization for both humans and Faunus. They called themselves the Neo-White Fang."

"I've heard of them." The band's drummer, Franceska Milarose, said. "They're always at odds with the Vacuo branch of the White Fang. They often appear at places where the WF start to cause a ruckus and put a stop to them. The Neo-White Fang was almost like a police force."

"I don't understand why you are telling me this." Weiss said stubbornly. "For all you know, your father tricked your mother. Like I keep saying, all Faunus are liars."

The keyboardist for the band, Emilou Apacci, stood up to front Weiss. "Why you little…" She stopped when Halibel lifted a hand.

Halibel spoke up, "Is that how you see Faunus?"

"Yes." Weiss said.

"Look, Weiss, I have no idea what your deal is about the White Fang, but don't go lumping other Faunus that has nothing to do with them." Renji said. "Not all Faunus are like that."

"Oh, yeah?" Weiss challenged.

"So, do you think that the Faunus would be there for their own kind?" Halibel asked.

Weiss shrugged. "I don't see why not."

"Not exactly." Renji said grimly.

"What?"

"Remember how I said that my Ma and Pa founded the Neo-White Fang to go up against the WF? Well, the executive members of the WF started getting tired of their constant meddling, so they decided to destroy it from the inside."

"…How?"

"They started drugging my Pa with an illegal substance called Wrath. Not much is known about it, only that it stimulates aggression. Because of its influence, it made my Pa more violent, especially towards me and my Ma. Soon, we started to lose some followers. Then, one day, it got so bad that I had awakened my Semblance and I accidentally killed my old man."

Weiss was nearly speechless. "Oh…"

"I was under mandatory watch on accounts of involuntary manslaughter and I had to wear a monitoring anklet. That was fun." Renji commented sarcastically. "I nearly lost my chance at attending a Huntsman Academy, but it's thanks to Rukia's family that I'm here right now. To show my gratitude, I plan on joining the Atlesian Special Ops when I graduate."

"What? Really? After what happened with Gin Ichimaru?" Weiss questioned.

"Don't forget, we, Team IURR, were there too. We saw what happened. We saw what he did to Sosuke Aizen, as well as the consequences that followed. But, that's not the reason for me joining the Atlesian military. It wasn't for the other Faunus or to get revenge; it was my way of saying thanks to the Kuchiki family. I'm aware of the pressure that I would undoubtedly face because of Ichimaru's actions, but I'm willing to face them."

Weiss felt conflicted. With the war with the White Fang, she was always exposed to one side, the humans effected. Never had she heard about the Faunus-on-Faunus crimes.

Seeing Weiss' contemplation, Halibel spoke again. "You'd think that people of the same race would have each other's back, huh?"

The older woman's question grabbed Weiss's attention. "…You're a Faunus, too?"

"That's right." Halibel's voice was soft, almost kind.

"So, you hide your Faunus trait with that mask?" Weiss asked.

"No, I don't." The heiress looked puzzled. "I have no qualms about my heritage. If you'd look up my profile on Meg2umi's website, you'll see that I don't hide the fact that I am a Faunus. A shark Faunus, in fact. I use this mask for a different reason." Halibel goes to remove the mask.

"Wait!" Franceska exclaimed. "You don't have to do that!"

"Yeah, you don't have to show this brat anything!" Emillou said.

"It's alright, girls." Halibel takes off her mask. What Weiss saw shocked her, her hand hovering over her mouth in horror. Defiling Halibel's beauty was a Glasgow smile, the ugly scars began from the corners of her mouth and ended at her cheekbones.

"Wha…? Who…who could've done…?" Weiss breathed.

"It happened when Meg2umi first formed." Halibel began, Weiss saw glimpses of her shark teeth as she spoke. "Because of my Faunus trait allowed me to look more human, some Faunus saw that as a disgrace. They believed that I was ashamed of my heritage and passed myself off as human, which was a lie. So, they broke into a hotel I was in and took me to an alleyway. There, they me laid on a table and one of them took out a knife and said, 'let's see if you'll still look human after this'. It hurt. It hurt so much, that I was crying and screaming. My screaming caught the attention of a human man from down the street. He came running with a flashlight and the other Faunus' ran off, leaving me behind. Thankfully, the man was a doctor and he treated my wounds pro bono." Halibel closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again. She replaced the mask on her face. "That night, I was assaulted by Faunus, my own kind, but it was a human who saved me. He even had this mask custom made for me because I didn't want to scare my fans with this ugly face of mine." She chuckled. "Of course, he said that I was still beautiful… Despite such act, I still garnered no hatred against my own kind. Just like how there are good humans and bad humans, there are also good Faunus and bad Faunus."

Weiss remained silent, taking in everything she just heard. Seeing this, Rukia places her hands gently on her friend's shoulders. "Come on. Let's go." Weiss nodded, following the petite woman out.

"Weiss." Renji spoke. She stopped to turn at him. "When I first heard that the Schnee heiress was gonna attend Beacon, I wasn't exactly thrilled, especially since I've met Jacques Schnee before. But, Uryuu insisted that you were a good person… And, after this, I would like to say that he is right." He grinned a toothy smile at Weiss. A smile of her own started to creep on her face. She shyly walked out.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Weiss and Rukia walked in silence. The heiress thought back on everything she 'knew' about the Faunus. Her father would charge into the family mansion, steam practically fuming from his ears in anger. He would always say 'those filthy Faunus' and other vulgar words that shouldn't be said in front of a child and she would hear kids at the Atlas Elite Elementary school talk about how Faunus carry diseases, would rob you blind, and that you would, bizarrely enough, turn into a Faunus by getting bitten by one. Weiss remembered one kid freaking out because a homeless Faunus child bit him… Now that she thinks about it, the kid was throwing rocks at the Faunus because he wanted to test the rumor… It was a stupid idea.

"Weiss," Rukia said, bringing the heiress out of her thoughts. "I'm sorry for having you see that. But, this blind hatred had to stop."

"N-no, it's fine…" Weiss said.

Rukia sighed and turns to Weiss. "If you don't mind, I want to give you a hypothetical scenario."

"Hm?" Weiss said.

"Say that a Quincy wants to join the Wandenreich." Rukia said. "The reasoning behind it is because he was dealt with a bad hand and wanted a new way of life. The Quincy is accepted in the Wandenreich with open arms. But, he soon learned that it was a mistake. He was forced to participated in blood rituals, kidnappings of young children, human and Faunus sacrifices, and… other things I hesitate to say."

"Oh my gosh…" Weiss said, not sure of what else to say.

Rukia smiled. "Keyword: Was. That Quincy was able to escape the group he was in. Do you see the similarities? The Quincy joined the Wandenreich in order to have a better life, while Blake joined the White Fang in order to have equality. They wanted a positive outcome. Unfortunately, no such outcome was in sight and they left. Now that I have told you this and with everything that you heard, what are your thoughts? Do you think that Blake is still nothing more than just a Faunus or would you look over her past mistakes and see her as just Blake Belladonna?"

That sounded familiar to Weiss. For the past few years, she has begun to notice the repercussions of her father's actions. As soon as Weiss was named heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, people didn't see Huntress-in-training Weiss Schnee, they only saw Jacques' successor. Jacques, Jacques, Jacques… Funny how Jacques was only married into the family…

Weiss just wanted to be Weiss Schnee.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Night has fallen as Blake peered over at the shipping containers, preferably the ones with the SDC logo on them. Sun hopped down next to her, carrying an arm full of apples. "Anything happened yet?" He asked her.

Blake shook her head. "Nothing for now."

Sun hands her an apple. "Hungry?"

Blake eyed the apple for a moment. "…You stole that, didn't you?"

"…Maybe."

"Do you always break the law without a second thought?"

"Hey, were you in a cult or something?" Blake angrily glared at him. "Too soon?"

A strong gust of wind whipped around them as a Bullhead flew in and starts to descend. When the cargo hold opened, a man in a black hood and wearing a Grimm mask that the WF wore stepped out.

"…No." Blake muttered in disbelief.

"You really didn't belief they were behind this, did you?" Sun asked softly, looking sympathetic.

"…No. Deep down in knew. I just didn't want to be right." Blake said, heartbroken.

"All right! What's the hold up?" Blake looks down to see the infamous Roman Torchwick ordering the Faunus.

Blake narrowed her eyes. "Something isn't right. The White Fang wouldn't work for a human like that." She gets up from her position and leaps down.

"Hey! Wait!" Sun called out.

Using the shadows, Blake sneaks her way towards behind Roman and grabs him at blade point.

"What the—? Oh, for f—"

"Don't move." Blake demanded. Roman rolled his eyes. Looking at all the White Fang goons pointing their weapons at her, she removes her bow, revealing her feline ears. "Brothers and sisters of the White Fang, I am Blake Belladonna. Why are you aiding this scum?"

One of them, a woman, huffed. "Like we're gonna answer to a deserter."

Roman chuckled. "It seems like you didn't get the message then."

Blake inched the blade of her Gambol Shroud closer to Roman's throat. "And what message is that?"

Before Roman said anything else, another Bullhead flew in. Seeing that Blake is now distracted, Roman shoots his cane at the ground.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Ruby heard a familiar gunshot from where she and Penny are. They see a Bullhead and a plume of smoke. "Oh, no…" Ruby said.

"We need to hurry." Penny said. Ruby nods and they run towards the direction of where Blake might be.

 _Blake, please be okay_ , Ruby prayed as she ran. She doesn't care if Blake was a member of the White Fang, she only cares to see her friend unharmed. They made it to the container storage area as Blake and Sun battled against Roman. Meeting up is Ichigo and Yang.

"Ruby!" Yang exclaimed before hugging her sister.

Ichigo watches the battle from the roof they are at. "What the hell is going?"

When Ruby noticed the career criminal had the monkey Faunus at gun/cane point, she decided to take action. "Hey!" She shouted. She extends Crescent Rose and flips it around before slamming it into the concrete.

"Was that even necessary?" Ichigo asked.

Roman chuckled. "Well, well, well, if it isn't little Red. Isn't it your bedtime yet?"

"Ruby?" Penny spoke up.

"Penny, get back." Ruby said, diverting her attention. Roman sees this and shoots at her, sending her back.

"Ruby!" Ichigo and Yang exclaimed before brandishing their weapons. Penny, remembering what happened with Nnoitora, narrowed her eyes and made her way to the roof edge.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Ichigo asked the girl.

"Penny, wait!" Ruby said. The bright green-eyed girl smiled at her.

"Do not worry, Ruby. I am combat ready!" Emerging from a small pack on Penny's back is a folded-up sword connect to the pack via a string-like cable. The sword extended before splitting into ten. The girl leaps from the rooftop and into the fray, plowing through the White Fang goons. She even took down a Bullhead by have the swords pierced into it and pulling it down using the cables.

Ichigo was amazed, as was Ruby. "How is she doing that?" Ruby wondered.

Good question. During his time at Beacon, Ichigo had seen a wide variety of student capable of amazing feats. Some, of course, is thanks to ones Aura. This, however, seems… different.

Seeing that this is a losing battle, Roman takes off in a Bullhead, escaping to do crime for another day.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

The police arrived to investigate the situation. Ichigo explained to them about Roman's involvement and his apparent partnership with the White Fang.

"Well, that at least explains why the guy has been robbing a large amount of Dust lately." One officer, Yesman, said.

"That pegs the question: What for?" Yesman's partner, Barnie, asked.

"We better report this to the chief." Officer Yesman said. He turns to Ichigo. "Thank you for looking into this."

"It's no sweat. But, you should really thank them." Ichigo said, gesturing his head at the younger teens.

"Well then, please tell them how thankful the Vale Police Department for uncovering one mystery." Officer Yesman said gratefully, before walking off and talk into a walkie talkie.

Ichigo walks back to the small group when Weiss and Rukia arrived. Seeing the stern expression on the heiress' face, Ruby springs up from her seat. "Listen Weiss. It's not what it looks like. Blake was helping to stop them, and she has little cat ears and they are kind of cute." She rambled.

"…Weiss." Blake started. "I want you to know that I am no longer affiliated with the White Fang. Back when I was—" She was silenced when Weiss held out a hand. It was positioned in a way for a handshake. "…Weiss?"

"You said that you are no longer a part of them, right?" Weiss asked.

"… Right."

"Then we don't have a problem anymore." Weiss said, holding out her hand again. Blake stared at it for a moment before smiling and clasping her own hand onto Weiss. Weiss expression turned to worry. "Blake, please remember this. If you're having a problem like this again, come to us, your teammates, your mentors, your friends and not… someone who take gratification in breaking the law." Sun grinned nervously.

Blake giggled a little. "…Right."

Ruby threw her hands up in the air. "Yay! Team RWBY is back together." Ichigo and Rukia exchanged smiles. Ruby then realized something. "Hey, where's Penny?" She looks around for her friend.

Unbeknownst to her, a solemn Penny was being driven away in a limo with a symbol on the side. By her side is her caretaker.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

They return to the student residential area where Nora spot them. "There you guys are!" she exclaimed, running over to hug Ruby hard. When she let go, Ruby breathed in a gulp of air. "You guys are just in time for dinner. Ren and Uryuu worked together to make a Mistralian smorgasbord that is to die for!" She quickly aimed a death glare at Ichigo. "And you better try the curry this time, buster." Ichigo chuckled. They make their way to the 3-A building, which houses teams IURR and TAIM. When they entered the third floor, they were hit by an aroma of variety of flavors. They go to the kitchen area to see the counters filled with mouth-watering food. Tonkatsu, takoyaki, skewered yakitori, miso, rice balls, steamed pork buns, dumplings, eggrolls, tempura, sushi, stirred-fried rice and fluffy white rice, curry, and noodles such as soba and udon.

Teams JNPR, TAIM, CFVY, and Renji and Uryuu are there too, talking amongst themselves. Orihime was the first to notice the arrivals. She gently puts down a pitcher of tea and scurried over.

"Belladonna-san!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around the girl. Blake was a little taken back by the action. She heard sniffling from the older, more buxom girl. Orihime sniffed. "I'm so happy to see that you're okay!"

"We all are." Pyrrha said. Blake looks at everyone in the room. She shyly smiled, but then she felt her cat ears turn with her emotion. She tries to hide them with her hands, but Weiss and Yang removed them.

"Oh, don't hide those ears. They're adorable!" Nora gushed.

"Blake," Ichigo said. "No one cares that you are a Faunus. We only care about  _you_." Blake nodded.

Uryuu claps his hands to get everyone's attention. "Now that everyone is here, let's eat. Ms. Belladonna, I've made a special plate just for you."

"What is it?" Blake asked.

"You'll see. Please go take your seat after you get a drink." Uryuu said with a smile.

Blake did so. She made herself a glass of iced tea and sat down at the table outside on the rooftop above the gym. Several of the standard dorm dining tables were pushed together to make one large table for the big party. There are also fairy lights strewn about, probably courtesy of Nora, and there is some music playing. The song playing now is a slow one, the vocals being that of a woman.

_~When the night has come_

_And the land is dark_

_And the moon is the only_

_Light we'll see~_

_~No, I won't be afraid_

_Oh, I won't be afraid_

_Just as long as you stand_

_Stand by me~_

Blake was pulled from the music when she felt Ichigo sitting next to her. She sees he had tea and a heaping plate of curry and rice with a side of yakitori.

"Nora?" Blake asked.

"She is hellbent on having me try the curry." Ichigo said, eyeing at his plate. "Although… I'll be honest, I might be biased about my sister's curry recipe."

"It's Yuzu, right?" Ruby asked, sitting next to Ichigo. She has a bowl of miso soup with soba and tofu and aside of takoyaki with a chocolate syrup topping. "The one that cooks for your family?"

"That's right." Ichigo answered.

"I so want to meet her." Yang said, seating adjacent to Blake, her plate having eggrolls, fried rice, and soba noodles. "And your other sister too."

"I'm more curious about your cousin." Weiss said, siting adjacent to Ruby.

"Here you go." Uryuu said as he placed Blake's plate in front of her. The plate is rectangular and on it is slices of meat with a side of stir fried udon. The smell of the meal was familiar to Blake.

"…Is this…"

"Grilled tuna drizzled with miso for an umami flavor." Uryuu said as he sat next to Weiss with his bowl of mackerel miso soup.

Blake picks up a pair of chopsticks and picks up a slice to take a bite. Her feline ears perked up at the flavors delighting her taste buds and Ruby gushed at the sight.

"That so cute!" Ruby said. "Doesn't it, Weiss?"

A genuine smile formed on the heiress' face. "It does."

Soon, the others arrive to eat. Nora stared at Ichigo until he tried the curry. All it took was for Ichigo to give her a thumbs up and she was pleased. Ren apologized to him on Nora's behalf. At some point, Ichigo helped Ruby how to hold chopsticks when she was struggling to grab some noodles. After dinner and watching Weiss, Uryuu, Orihime, and Ren washing the dishes, Ichigo takes a moment to think.

Ichigo, given what kind of person he is, doesn't actively try to make friends. Even at the age of three, though it was more due to shyness. How he came to have friends was through circumstances. He met Tatsuki when he was four. He didn't like her much because she always beat him at karate at the dojo they were. The only reason they interacted more was because their respective mothers became friends. So close that they attended Masaki's funeral service. Ichigo met Orihime through Tatsuki and he met Keigo and Mizuiro after saving the former from bullies. Sometimes, Ichigo regretted doing that because Keigo was annoying, however, he brings a little bit of light to Ichigo every now and again.

And, of course, Ichigo met Rukia, Renji and Uryuu due to them being put into teams. It was strange at first, because Ichigo never really interacted deeply with others. Tatsuki, Orihime, Mizuiro, and Keigo kind of do their own things, occasionally inviting the vibrant-haired man but more often than not he'd turn them down. The crew of Team IURR on the other hand, was a different story. Rukia was more or less outgoing about the team dynamics and Renji just went along with it.

Uryuu wasn't as cooperative… not surprising. What was also not surprising was the fact that Uryuu had attended Shino'o Academy and was in the same class as Ichigo up until he moved away at the age of 15… and had zero recollection of him. Even the time that Uryuu and his family attended Masaki's funeral and the fact he  _sat right next to him_  in class didn't appear in Ichigo's mind. He remembered how the others would say that he and Uryuu were like two sides of the same coin. Ichigo had initially disagreed with them, but he soon learned how right they were…

Meeting Team RWBY was an event all on its own. Each and every one of the girls had their quirks, as well as their faults. Yang very much reminded Ichigo of Tatsuki: Bombastic, hotblooded, and has one hell of a right hook. But she also has a caring side to her when it comes to friends and family. Blake was your typical bookworm, quiet and antisocial, but not dull, especially with everything that has happened. Ichigo could not stand Weiss when he first met her. He has met other snooty Atlesian elites before and the Schnee heiress was no exception… well, there is one exception. Weiss actually has a soul.

Ruby is an idealist, a starry-eyed girl with a rather romantic view on the world. When Ichigo first met her, he knew that she is in for a rude awakening now that she is here. Now… Ichigo dreads the day that Ruby would face something so horrific that… she might become like him, pessimistic and cynical… He doesn't want that to happen. He wants Ruby to stay as she is: a simple girl with a simple dream of saving the world.

Watching from afar, is a single back cat with golden eyes.

_~So, Darlin', Darlin', Stand by me_

_Oh, Stand by me_

_Oh, Stand now_

_Stand by me, Stand by me~_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Ending (Tomorrow)


	32. Epilogue: In the Wind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY, Bleach, and the featured song. They belong to Rooster Teeth, Tite Kubo, and Aimer respectively.

**Volume Ending Theme (Re:pray by Aimer)**

**(Instrumental)**  The scene is in monochrome. A chrysalis is hanging from a branch. The chrysalis then splits, a black swallowtail with a tinge of amber orange emerges and flies away towards the shattered moon. (A/N: Every scene is in monochrome and still-frame, like Ending 29, but certain parts of a character will have color)

 **(Hodoukyou kaidan wa motto)**  Ichigo, with his hair in its trademark color, is on top of the roof of Beacon Tower, laying on his back. He looks solemn.

 **(Te wo furu yo saigo no senaka ni)**  Ruby is in a garden of roses, her red cape flowing in the wind.

 **(Ao ni kawaru light de toki ga ugoku)**  Uryuu is inside, sitting on an antique armchair with his head resting on a lightly fisted hand, his blue eyes in a book. Weiss is looking at a photo, her eyes their light blue.

 **(Kasa no nami nomi konda my days)**  Renji is in the locker room, working on his sword, his hair is in its vibrant crimson color. Rukia is sitting on a tree branch, directing her solemn deep purple eyes to the sky. Yang and Blake are underneath a tree, the former sleeping against Blake's back as she reads. Yang's hair being its natural blonde and Blake's stockings their gradient purple.

 **(Say a little pray for you and me mo)**  Tatsuki and Orihime are walking through the Beacon walkway, Tatsuki's weapons their camo green color and Orihime's hairpins their soft blue color. Orihime gazing out towards the open. Keigo and Mizuiro are sitting on a bench. Keigo, with his yellow undershirt, is leaning over Mizuiro's shoulder. Mizuiro, with his light blue headphones, is smiling at him

 **(Eien wo chikaenai ai wo miokurou)**  Jaune and Pyrrha are in the library, their only colors being their hair. Jaune is sleeping while Pyrrha looks at him fondly. Ren, in an apron, and Nora are the kitchen, the former baking pancakes and preventing the latter from stealing it. Ren's shirt is green and Nora's skirt is pink.

 **(Dareka no tame ni ikite yukenai)** Standing in the middle of a field of red spider lilies is Masaki Kurosaki, Ichigo's mother, and Summer Rose, Ruby's mother. They are standing back-to-back. Masaki's coat and long hair and Summer's cloak flows with the gentle wind. While Masaki's hair is covering her eyes, her gentle smile is still shown. It is the same with Summer. As Summer reveals her face and eyes, the rest of colors are restored.

 **(Jibun wo yuruseru tsuyosa wo)**  Teams IURR, TAIM, and TMKK are dining at a restaurant.

 **(Anata ni yorisoe nakatta koto Kuyamazuni hirareru hibi wo)** IURR and RWBY are strolling through the streets of Vale, smiling and laughing. Even Uryuu, who had a small smile on his face with Ichigo smiling back.

 **(Inori wa kumo wo hikisaki)**  The shots gain movement as Ichigo stops walking and looks at the sky. Ruby does the same and the rest of their teams stopped to look too. Ichigo and Ruby exchanged glances before returning to the sky, smiling.

 **(Kono sora ni kibou tokihanatsu)**  The butterfly from before is fly through the sky, accompanied by a red rose petal. While it does so, the sky also gains color.

**(End Ending Theme)**

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Guardians of Remnant~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"I keep telling you, don't underestimate Her wrath!" Forrest Tanner shouted from his cell in the Mistral Sanzashi Prison. "The end is coming! The end is nigh!"

An inmate a few cells down groaned. "Man, that guy needs to shut up."

"Perhaps there's a method to his madness." One of his two cellmates said, his voice carried a sense of sophistication. The cellmate is a red eyed, white haired man with a scar on his chin.

The first inmate scoffed. "Only  _you_  would say that."

A guard bangs at the bars, getting the inmates' attention, before unlocking the cell. "#1953, you have a visitor." The red-eyed man rises from his seat and walks to the guard. He graciously held up his wrists to the guard. The guard, used to this behavior, cuffed him and escorted him out after closing and locking back the cell door.

"Who was that, anyway?" the other cellmate asked the first inmate.

"You mean you don't know? That man was the ringleader of the Sakuya Massacre and the leader of the Bount Group: Jin Kariya."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Volume: Seeds of Doubt (Sept 21 or 22)

**Author's Note:**

> Next Chapter: A Fairy Tale Beginning


End file.
